Used 2020 Audi A7

Thanks to its hatchback design, the 2020 Audi A7 and S7 Sportback offer all the luxury and performance of a high-end sedan, but with the utility of a small wagon or SUV. The A7’s hatchback creates a fastback-like silhouette that makes it a more intriguing design than its A6 sedan cousin. Add to that the standard 3.0-liter turbocharged engine, advanced high-tech dash and quattro all-wheel drive, and the A7 shines brightly.

The A7 sits low, with a wide body made to look all the more hunkered down by its available 21-inch alloy wheels. It’s a look the A7 pulls off better than the new BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe and pricier Porsche Panamera. Those looking for even more power and handling prowess should look to the 444-horsepower S7.

Beneath the 2020 Audi A7’s dynamically carved aluminum hood rests a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 pumping out a very healthy 335 horsepower. Channeling all this energy is Audi’s famed quattro all-wheel-drive system, only this one has been tweaked a bit to allow the front wheels to do most of the work, only engaging the rear wheels when the system deems it necessary.

However, unlike most part-time AWD setups that wait for wheel slippage to occur before rerouting power, the A7 employs a predictive system that sends power to the rear wheels before it’s needed. This setup ensures maximum traction on both wet and dry pavement at all times, while simultaneously helping conserve fuel.

The A7’s turbocharged V6 is blessed with abundant torque and offers it up at a low rpm, making the car feel exceptionally quick off the line. An equally exceptional 7-speed dual-clutch automatic complete with paddle shifters allows the driver even faster gear changes exactly when required, such as when attacking a steep and twisting 2-lane road.

Audi has done a marvelous job with the A7’s suspension damping, helping this 4,332-pound sedan feel like a much smaller, lighter vehicle. Interior noise levels are practically imperceptible, and the interior’s stunning design and high-tech dash further add to the feeling you’re behind the wheel of something special. You haven’t lived until you’ve experienced the scrolling Google Map display on the A7’s 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit instrument cluster display, which renders traditional analog gauges as relevant as a CD player or 8-track tape deck.

We also must give Audi props for the seamless auto stop/start feature, which is among the smoothest we’ve experienced, although not quite up to par with that of the 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLS 450, still another German sedan with a swoopy roofline.

The A7 interior is identical to that of the A6, which is to say it’s a driver-focused environment awash in leather and wood, with configurable mood lighting. Audi’s all-new MMI Touch Response system has replaced the familiar rotary dial and conventional infotainment controls of the previous-generation A6 and A7, but the jury’s still out on how much easier the system works, especially when the car is in motion.

An 8.8-inch touch screen is at the top of the A7’s center stack, while a lower screen serves as the pad for text inputs drawn by your finger. Like the touch pad, both require the driver to take his or her eyes off the road to operate, sometimes longer than just the quick glance needed to operate a knob or button. Overall interior room is sufficient for four adults, but rear headroom is compromised a bit by the A7’s sloping roofline.

Audi’s A7 Sportback for 2020 doesn’t share a single body part (or glass panel) with the A6 upon which it’s based. Chrome use has been minimized to emphasize the A7’s distinctive design proportions, while the D-pillars and third side windows help form the familiar sportback shape. In front, the low and wide grille adds a sporty flair, while pronounced wheel arches hint at the new A7’s standard quattro all-wheel drive.

When the A7 is viewed from the side, note how the car’s low shoulder line, which sweeps downward, and the window line, which rises, convey a sense of motion. At the back of the A7 is an active spoiler that deploys at 75 mph. Nineteen-inch wheels are standard, but 20s and 21s are available.

AUDI VIRTUAL COCKPIT
With Audi’s Virtual Cockpit, the A7’s usual analog gauges are replaced by a 12.3-inch display on a scrolling background that reveals brilliant high-def images from Goggle Maps. The screen can be configured to show navigation, a simple gauge cluster or a variety of information from music, to messages, to names and numbers in your phone book.

3.0-LITER TURBO ENGINE
The 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 in the 2020 A7 Sportback produces 335 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque, the latter as low as 1,370 rpm. This engine is impressively responsive, quiet and smooth, capable of propelling the A7 to 60 mph in just 5.2 seconds and reaching an electronically limited top speed of 130 mph.

The 2020 Audi A7 Premium comes well-equipped and includes a panoramic sunroof, 7-inch driver-information screen, voice-controlled navigation, dual touch-screen (8.8-inch upper and 8.6-inch lower) center display, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, 10-speaker/180-watt sound system, keyless entry with push-button start, rain/light sensor for automatic wiper and headlights, Audi Drive Select, Audi Pre Sense Front and Pre Sense Basic, front and rear parking sensors, lane-departure warning, a power tailgate, 3-zone automatic climate control, power tilt/telescopic steering wheel, heated 8-way-power front seats with 4-way-power lumbar and leather seating.

Premium Plus and Prestige models are both available with a Driver Assistance Package. Priced at $1,750, it includes adaptive cruise control (with Traffic Jam Assist and Turn Assist), Active Lane Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition and Audi’s Intersection Assistant. With this last technology, the A7 monitors cross traffic when the car is pulling through an intersection and may apply the brakes to avoid a possible collision (at speeds of up to 6.2 mph). The Prestige model also is available with a Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System for $4,900. A sport suspension, which lowers the A7 by nearly an inch (20 mm), is also available.

A newly developed turbocharged 3.0-liter V6, mounted longitudinally in front, sends 335 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels via Audi’s latest quattro system, called quattro Ultra. With this new all-wheel-drive arrangement, EPA highway fuel economy for the 2020 Audi A7 is pegged at an impressive 29 mpg. The battery for the compact 48-volt mild-hybrid system is stored under the rear cargo floor. It powers a belt-alternator starter used primarily for the A7’s fuel-saving automatic start/stop system.

The performance-minded S7 employs a 2.9-liter biturbo V6 good for 444 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque. This is the same engine found in the high-performance RS 5.

3.0-liter turbocharged V6 (A7)
335 horsepower @ 5,000 rpm
369 lb-ft of torque @ 1,370-4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 22/29 mpg

2.9-liter biturbo V6 (S7)
444 horsepower @ 5,700 rpm
443 lb-ft of torque @ 1,900-5,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 18/28 mpg