Launch of the Audi A7 Sportback

Audi says that by bringing together the best of three worlds, the A7 Sportback provides the sporty elegance of a coupé, the comfort of a sedan and the practicality of an avant. According to its maker, the new A7 Sportback is for those with an eye for design and who stand out from the crowd. Emotion-packed, sporty and elegantly-designed, the Audi A7 is the supermodel to watch at the Audi Fashion Festival 2011 which will be held from May 13 to 18.

With the A7 Sportback, the official car of this year's Audi Fashion Festival, Audi has once again broken new ground in design. Earlier this year, a distinguished jury panel of design experts had voted the A7 Sportback as winner of the "Auto Bild" Design Summit, thanks to top marks in proportions, styling, innovation and quality.

Reinhold Carl, Managing Director of Audi Singapore: "The Audi A7 Sportback is a beautiful car that commands your attention. Anyone with a taste for design will appreciate its proportions, styling, and the presence the car has on the road. "

The Audi A7 Sportback measures 4.97 metres long and 1.91 metres wide, but is just 1.42 metres high. Its long hood, sporty, flowing C-pillars and the steep drop of the rear section present a dynamic overall image, conveying elegance on a grand scale. Optional LED headlights accentuate its appearance. LED tail lights are standard.

The Audi A7 Sportback combines supreme long-distance comfort with a sporty character. The interior noise level is very low even at fast speeds, with the V6 engines providing refined acoustic feedback as their power unfolds. The excellent vibration behaviour is the result of painstakingly-tuned components, systematic hydraulic damping in the axle and drivetrain bearings, and an extremely stiff body. Made primarily of aluminum and high-tech steels, the A7 Sportback is extremely lightweight and safe. The long rear hatch opens to a large luggage compartment.

The sportiness of the exterior carries over into the interior of the A7 Sportback. The key feature is the "wrap-around," a horizontal line that encircles the driver and front- seat passenger to provide a feeling of safety and security. The wave-shaped application strip with its integrative dynamics is the highlight of the dashboard.

The interior is also testament to the meticulous attention to detail that Audi puts into building cars; the quality of the craftsmanship is on par with fine handcrafted goods. The senses are pampered with high quality new materials including veneers made with a laminated-wood technique and optional ambient lighting that highlights the interior as well as ventilation and massage features for the front seats.

The A7 Sportback comes with two powerful and cultivated V6 petrol engines whose efficiency sets impressive new standards in its class - the 2.8 FSI (204 bhp) and the 3.0 TFSI (300 bhp). Both engines use Audi's innovative thermal management system, a recuperation system and a start-stop system.

Standard automatic transmissions also contribute to the car's high efficiency. The seven-speed S tronic delivers the power to all four wheels. The latest generation of Audi's quattro permanent all-wheel drive - available only with S tronic - features the crown-gear centre differential and torque vectoring. The sport differential for the rear axle, which actively distributes the power between the rear wheels, comes optional.

Like Audi's A8 luxury flagship, the A7 Sportback also combines a new level of technical intelligence with logical, intuitive ergonomics and self-explanatory operation. The advanced MMI operating system with central menu button and reduced number of buttons comes standard, as is the new heads-up display (for the 3.0 TFSI) that projects the most important information on the windshield. The MMI touch system combines hard drive navigation with the convenience of touchpad input for the driver to write the letters of the destination among other uses.

In many cases, the Audi pre sense safety system can reduce the severity of accidents and their consequences. The new Audi active lane assist helps the driver to keep the A7 Sportback firmly on course, and the new park assist system (standard on the 3.0 TFSI) relieves the driver of the stress of steering when parallel and perpendicular parking.

Be it a car or clothing collection, it takes inspiration to create something original. Fittingly, the beautiful A7 Sportback with its inspiring design is the official car of the Audi Fashion Festival 2011. The Festival celebrates design inspiration and creativity with collections from A-list designers like Missoni, Emanuel Ungaro, Atelier Swarovski, Antonio Berardi and Greyhound. The new A7 Sportback will debut in Singapore at the Audi Fashion Festival.

The A7 Sportback is now on sale in two variants - the 2.8 FSI quattro and the supercharged 3.0 TFSI quattro. For prices and specs, check out this page. Look out for a review of the A7 Sportback here coming up real soon.

Credits: Edited by Raymond Lai Photos by Audi and Yang