2012 Audi A7 - More Detailes Are Out

Based on the next-generation A6 sedan, the A7 is priced nearly identically to the BMW 535 Gran Turismo, a luxury hatchback that certainly doesn't win the matchup on looks.



While the hatchbacks' engines offer similar power, the two have distinctly different personalities on the road. They're different inside as well: The BMW is a more luxurious cruiser with "squared" LED angel eyes, while the A7 aims for sport-sedan status.



Looks

Audi made its R8 supercar a movie star, placing it center stage in the popular "Iron Man" film franchise. That car's aggressive front end is clearly mimicked on the A7, but that's where the hatch's resemblance to current Audis ends.



The back end has a sloping rear window, as you'd expect, but the end of the car is truncated, as if a knife cut off the end of a loaf of French bread. An upward kink creates a lip spoiler, and there's a retractable spoiler hidden in a small amount of space on the deck lid.



You could just say the A7 is gorgeous and stop discussing design elements. During my few days piloting our Garnett Red test car, my neighbors, fellow commuters and one nice lady filling up her BMW next to me at a gas station all clearly envied me.





The A7 Premium comes standard with leather, keyless start and those trademark LED daytime running lights.



Move up to the Premium Plus version, like our tester, for $62,870, and you'll also get 19-inch wheels, navigation and parking sensors.



Then there's the Prestige model, which starts at $65,580 and adds a power tilt/telescoping steering wheel, xenon headlights, four-zone climate control and a Bose sound system. Audi's impressive Bang & Olufsen sound system is the Prestige model's only option, and it costs an additional $5,900.



I enjoyed our test car's assortment of features, which included Audi's new navigation system. The A7 Premium Plus I drove seemed almost reasonable at $66,000 as-tested, but it lacked keyless entry. All A7s — perhaps all Audis — should include keyless entry as well as keyless start. Many Nissans, Fords and even Kias are available with that feature for half the cost of the Prestige model, which is the only A7 to offer it.



Safety

The A7 has the standard array of airbags, as well as a number of optional safety systems we've seen proliferate in the luxury market. Adaptive cruise control with a collision-warning system is available, as is night vision assistance — a feature for which we've found little use when not traveling deer-patrolled rural roads in the dead of night.



Our tester had a $500 blind spot warning system that Audi calls "side assist." Instead of featuring LED lights on the interior of the car or in the mirrors themselves, there are three LED bulbs housed in a black panel inside the exterior of the mirror.