2014 Audi A7

Competition in this segment is filled with German powerhouse cars like Mercedes-Benz CLS 550, BMW 640i, and Porsche Panamera. Priced at $64,500, it’s the cheapest yet most beautiful option in the segment but does the low price mean low performance? not really. Let’s take a look.

The 2014 Audi A7 comes in two trim levels Premium Plus and Prestige. The base trim A7 comes with sporty 19-inch wheels and all-season tires. The A7 gets features like 3-zone automatic climate control, Bi-Xenon headlights as standard equipment. The Prestige trim adds up adaptive technology to the headlights. The interior gets an upgrade with leather upholstery, power features, and ambient lighting. The trim levels have added a considerable number of features and Audi offers stand-alone packages like Cold weather, Sports, Black Optics to further make the A7 cooler and more comfortable.

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Audi has kept it very simple with just two trim levels. The Premium Plus trim has most of the features and the Prestige tops it out with luxury substitutes but the pricing is exactly similar. Don’t know what’s the agenda behind this but for buyers, this means good news. The Prestige trim with Cold Weather, Driver Assistance, and Innovation package will be the best choice for the average buyer. A buyer who wants more aggression to their ride can opt for the 20’’ wheels and Black optics package as well. 

It is very satisfying to see when automakers don’t bombard buyers with options. The 2014 A7 comes with a Supercharged, 3.0L V-6 engine that produces 310 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque. Choosing a drivetrain is a thing of the past for Audi, they certainly know what’s better for their customers. The transmission is an 8-speed automatic one. For people who require efficiency, there’s a turbo diesel engine available of the same capacity which has 240 hp but a humongous 428 lb-ft of torque for a superb low-end pull.

The rivals are similarly equipped compared to the A7 except for the Mercedes-Benz. The Benz comes with a turbo V-8 engine with much superior power figures of 315hp and 330lb.-ft, and that t properly reflects in the performance. The 0-60 MPH timings of 5.1 seconds are similar to most competitors and have a minuscule difference as compared to the A7 that takes 5.4 seconds. The Panamera, which makes use of Porsche’s traditional PDK unit, is the slowest in the group by almost a second as compared to all the cars here.

Thanks to the 8-speed gearbox, the car stays at a lower rev range throughout its paces, resulting in better fuel economy. The 18 MPG in city economy is not the best but not the worst either the competition offers similar figures. The same story goes for highway efficiency, it is average. The 19.8 gallons of the fuel tank will let you drive this beauty for 416 miles of combined range.

It's nothing new that Mercedes-Benz is always soaring ahead in the fuel economy scene and even with that bigger V-8 engine it matches the A7’s fuel economy. On the other hand, the Porsche is not only underwhelming with the engine specs but fuel economy is also average as per class. Meanwhile, the BMW returns the best fuel economy of 24 MPG in the group today but the trade-off is the low fuel tank capacity. However, the 2014 Panamera does manage the highest combined range of 464 miles, thanks to its large fuel tank that can hold 21.1-gallons of fuel. 

The interior of the 2014 A7 is typically Audi, this means minimalist design language and high-quality materials. While the Audi A5 or lower and the A8 have more straight lines on the dashboard, the A7 took some liberty from its sporty character and has introduced some curves inside. The super-long A/C vents you see on most Audi’s are replaced with conventionally styled ones. The cabin is finished in soft-touch materials and glossy wooden trims.

The seats on the A7 are soft and comfortable and have immense levels of power-adjustability including lumbar support. The roofline of the A7 is quite low but that does not sacrifice headroom at all, even though it comes with a sunroof. The second row is just as spacious as the first and there are no sacrifices in terms of headroom at the back either.

The 2014 A7 blows everyone out of the water with its cargo volume. The massive 24.5 cubic feet of space is pure bliss for people who like to carry a lot of stuff and folding the seats creates even more space. The way the hatch opens is another benefit of having a Sportback. The rivals are not even in the same ballpark when it comes to cargo capacity, the Panamera is also a Sportback but the cargo volume is pretty low. Even the BMW 640i with 16.2 cubic feet could have done better but the manufacturer chose passenger space over cargo capacity. The major point of contestation in the favor of the Audi is its higher seating capacity as the Porsche and Mercedes-Benz CLS 550 can seat 4 passengers only. 

Some standout interior features include:

• 4 zone climate control
• LED ambient lighting 
• Wooden trims 
• Spacious cabin 
• Full-on luxurious seats with heating & ventilation 

How intuitive is the 2014 Audi A7’s infotainment unit?

The Audi A7 comes with an 8-inch touchscreen with an Audi MMI system and a 10-speaker Sound System and Smartphone connectivity can be done with Bluetooth. The A7 also comes with an Audi Connect internet suite which uses 3G Wi-Fi to connect with google earth for navigation purposes. The touchpad where you can write letters and numbers sounds gimmicky and tedious, but it works well once you get a hold of it. 

Some key infotainment features are:

• 8-inch touchscreen
• SiriusXM
• Factory Navigation (Google Earth)
• USB ports
• 14 speakers Bose sound system
• 3G Wi-Fi

The 2014 Audi A7 boasts mesmerizing design inside-out. It's based on the Audi A6 sedan and you can notice some identical bits. The sloped roofline and the overall sleek design of this car are enchanting. At the front, the big grille and Bi-Xenon headlights setup is a signature styling element on luxury Audi’s. The overall car is devoid of muscular body lines except for one that goes from the front fender to the trunk lid. The rest of the car is very elegantly designed. At the rear, huge LED taillights are the point of attraction as they cover almost half of the rear end. Overall the A7 can be described as a metal sculpture on 4 wheels.

The Porsche Panamera stands at 197.4 inches and is the longest car in the group today yet it has somehow managed to stay lighter than all of the competitors weighing under 4,000lbs, we still wonder why it hasn’t performed better than the rest of the cars. The Porsche also has the most ground clearance in the group. Both the A7 and CL550 have similar dimensions except for the ground clearance. The lowest clearance on the Audi makes it look sportier. 

• Bi-Xenon headlights
• 19-inch wheels
• low ground clearance 
• low slung roofline 

The 2014 Audi A7 hasn’t been tested by the NHTSA or IIHS but since it is based on the A6 platform, let's see how the A6 has done in those tests. The Audi A6 has scored exceedingly well in all the categories and got 5-stars in overall safety ratings. So, it will be fair to say that the A7 would have scored similarly if not better. The IIHS crash tests also reveal a similar performance with a 'Good' score in all the tested categories. Let’s see what active safety features we have to avoid crashes and mishaps:

• Lane departure warning & Lane Keep assist 
• Rear cross-traffic alerts
• Blindspot monitor
• Forward collision warning
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System

The 2014 Audi A7 is a one-car does it all kind of vehicle. Do you want the interior space of a sedan? You have it. Want the practical boot space? Got you covered. The performance aspect of this car is not an issue at all, the base V-6 engine has more than enough power you will ever need and Audi has introduced the Diesel option for those who want efficiency. In terms of design, it is a masterpiece and you will fall in love with this car the moment you see one. The A7 is a car that you can take on dates, go for a weekend joyride, and drop off the kids at school. All at a considerably lower price than the rivals.