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The first Audi A7 was a real star.
great design, great technology, and great to drive.
It was a car that was met with nearly universal acclaim.
So what I want to find out today is whether this all new second generation 2019 Audi a7 can live up to the high bar set by its predecessor.
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The A7 makes a great first impression before you even get in.
Especially with this fantastic light show that you get as you unlock the car.
It is a stunner from every angle.
Now, some Road Show editors have debated whether they like the look of this second-gen A7 as much as the first version, but I think we all agree that it's one of the best-looking four-door cars on sale today.
As before, the A7 has a sport-back shape with a very pure and sleek design.
Audi uses lights to help define the shape of this car, from the binary code-inspired elements in the the headlights up and the UFO line and the tail lights around back.
And the tail of the car, the designers told me, was supposed to be inspired by the look of a windswept yacht, whatever that means.
As with the last version, the A7 is a hatchback and behind the second row of seats you have about as much space as an Audi Q5.
SUV.
And one of my personal favorite features, it's still got a pop-up rear spoiler.
As lovely as it is to look at the Audi A7, it's even more of a treat to get inside and drive it.
From behind the wheel, the car has exactly the sort of control, weighting, and response as you'd want in a car like this.
It feels very delicate and light on its feet, it's very responsive.
It rides extremely well on all types of roads.
That's even though mine has the optional sports suspension that means, it sits about three quarters of an inch lower than the base A7.
And it's also extremely quiet in here as well.
One of the most telling things to me about how quiet a car is, is whether I have to raise my voice and shout when we're doing these segments.
And in this car.
I could probably pretty much whisper to you.
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It's quick too, with a three liter turbo [UNKNOWN] that sends 335 horsepower and 369 pound feed of torque through a seven speed door clutch transmission.
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0-60 takes just 5.2 seconds and this engine has so much torque all through the rev range.
However, there are times when it takes a bit before you get that power.
You put your foot down and you have to wait as the transmission downshifts and the turbo pulls up a little bit.
If you're really into good responsiveness, putting it in sport mode definitely helps.
This engine also has a forty eight volt and mile hybrid system.
That helps save just a little bit of fuel and it makes those stop start operations at traffic lights a little smoother.
In fact with that system this car can actually turn the engine off before you can even complete stop at a traffic light.
Now the inside of an Audio a seven.
Is just as gorgeous as the outside.
Absolutely adore the design and the open pore wood, the brushed metal all throughout the cabin.
At night it looks like an art-deco wonder.
There are 30 different colors for all of the interior ambient lighting.
Although I don't know that I necessarily need a light up Quattro badge on the dash.
I really like these seats.
They're incredibly supportive and comfortable.
And with this bright, crisp 12.3 inch Full digital instrument cluster in front of me while I've got all the information I need right in my line of sight.
The dashboard design is incredibly clean and uncluttered.
The center stack is cantored slightly toward the driver which I definitely appreciate as the driver.
As you can see there are almost no buttons or switches anywhere inside the cabin, instead you control pretty much everything Through these two giant touch screens.
Now, there is so much cool new technology, especially with these touch screens, that I could make an entire video just on that, and in fact, I have.
If you want the full rundown on infotainment systems, be sure to go check out our separate tech check video.
But because the MMI touch response system is so integral to how the The A7 drives, and because we gave it a Road Show Shift Award, I do want to run you through some of the basics about how it works.
At the top is a 10.0 inch touch screen.
This controls all your basic entertainment features.
things like Google maps, the satalitte navigation, the phone calling, the radio, all of your vehicle settings.
Down below, the 8.6 inch touchscreen you see here runs the climate control or when I'm entering the navigation or searching for a phone number it turns in to a writing pad or a keyboard And you may expect having two big touch screens in the car is very distracting, but these ones are set up and work so well that I actually think it's one of my favourite in car systems available today.
There's also an incredible amount of active safety technology in the Audi A7 in fact we also awarded Audi a Road Show Shift Award for the special advanced assist features that are in this car.
Now again you can get more details and all those technologies in our tech check video but suffices to say doesn't advance central processor that takes input from up to 24 external senses t keep you safe while on the road.
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And of course the Audi 870 is incredibly luxurious and.
Loaded to the hilt with all the features you might expect from a luxury car.
Things like the big sunroof, the lovely Bang & Olufsen sound system, heated and cooled seats, wireless phone charging, the list goes on and on.
It probably goes without saying though that a luxury car like this doesn't come cheap.
The 2019 Audi A7 starts at about $69,000.
The one I'm driving right now has an untested price of $83,000.
Which is certainly a lot, but when you consider all the features that this car has, well, I think I'd be happy to pay that number.
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So the 2019 Audi A7 is gorgeous to behold, lovely to drive, packed with futuristic technology, and because it's got all-wheel drive and it's a hatchback, it's even quite practical.
If I went shopping for electric car today, this is the one I'd want.
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