AUDI S7 - Seven Up, Up & Away

This powerful Sportback is a premium car perfect for the high-flying executive

Late last year, Audi introduced a trio of S models derived from its A8, A7, and A6 cars. These potent machines share the automaker’s new 4-litre V8, tuned to deliver 520bhp for the S8 and 420bhp for both the S6 and S7. Presumably, this is to ensure that the flagship is faster than its siblings “below” it, and it also goes towards justifying the massive price differential between the S8 and the other two S cars.

AUDI S7

Unlike the A8 and the A6, which are straightforward saloons, the A7 is an extroverted five-door coupe-hatch with a unique sense of style. The only criticism that could possibly be leveled at its design is that it looks too similar to the smaller A5 Sportback. The “sportified” A7 that is the S7 has the usual defining touches that differentiate it from non-S Audis. Shiny cross bars for the single frame grille, different front and rear bumpers, aluminum-look housings for the door mirrors, and quadruple exhaust tailpipes tell everyone that this is an S7 and not just any A7!

Size-wise, the S7 is 49mm longer and 37mm broader than the S6, and it tips the scales at 1945kg, a full 50kg heavier than the S6. This difference in dimensions is apparent both outside and inside the car. The low-slung S7 has a stronger presence, too – so much so that the S6 looks less attractive when viewed alongside it.

Eight in s seven: High-tech, twin-turbo 4-litre V8 is a marvel of German engineering

This “sexier than S6” impression continues in the cabin. The extra body width creates a more luxurious ambience for the S7, which also has a more prominent center stack, larger decorative surfaces and “freer-flowing” dashboard lines. Carbon inlays are standard, adding sportiness without detracting from the car’s luxurious image. All the materials used are upmarket. The classy cabin is also spacious, although especially tall passengers in the rear might find their hairstyles modified by the heavily arched headlining. A glass sunroof livens up the interior ambience, but does no favors for headroom.

Luggage capacity is a generous 535 liters with all seats in place, increasing to a whopping 1,390 liters with the rear seats folded. Golf obviously isn’t a high priority with the bigwigs at Audi, because the boot is deep rather than wide, making it impossible to ferry a golf bag transversely. Stretching forward to retrieve a golf bag lying longitudinally is bad news for those with bad backs!

Bruise liner: Cockpit brings to mind a luxury cruiser, while the performance is like that of a big and sporty speedboat

All good is the spanking new 4-litre V8 that is the star of Audi’s latest S cars. Compared to the outgoing 4.2-litre V8, this turbo engine is smoother, cleaner and cleverer. Its party trick is its brilliant “cylinder-on-demand” technology that deactivates four cylinders when the car is cruising with a light throttle.

Zero to 100km/h takes 4.7 seconds in the S7, a barely noticeable 0.1 of a second less speedy than the S6. More noticeable is the S7’s sharper cornering – it feels more “sticky” when pushed really hard in corners, thanks to wider tracks and bigger tyres. Fitted with the sport differential (a must-have option, in my opinion), the handling feels very safe and almost perfectly neutral. Having said that, the lighter and smaller S6 is more “chuckable” than the S7, making it even more communicative and entertaining for on-limit driving.

The main rivals of the S7 are the BMW 650i Gran Coupe and the Mercedes- Benz CLS500, both high-performance four-door coupes. The Bimmer and the Audi are evenly matched in performance, with the Gran Coupe having the edge in style and the S7 scoring on cabin quality, while the CLS exudes a more mature image than either of them.