The Audi A7 had been rumored as Audi’s version of the Mercedes-Benz CLS. But after seeing the Audi Sportback Concept in the flesh at the Detroit auto show, it’s obvious Audi is taking a bit of a different tack with its stylish new luxury car.
For starters, the Audi Sportback Concept is a 5-door hatchback, unlike the “4-door coupes” from Mercedes with its CLS and Volkswagen with its Passat-based CC. Audi says the 5-door body style was chosen after the sales success achieved by the 5-door A3 Sportback. The attempt with the Sportback Concept was to achieve the coveted “coupe-like silhouette” while still providing the car with a user-friendly rear hatch. Audi says the 4-seat Sportback Concept also serves notice that it will not be limiting Sportback designs to the compact segment.
Besides serving as a preview for the upcoming A7 production model, Audi says the Sportback Concept also “offers a glimpse of Audi’s future design vocabulary.” We’re guessing that vocabulary will include the Sportback Concept’s new interpretation of Audi’s single-frame grille. Another interesting design feature is the car’s side mirrors that Audi says were inspired by the upturned tips on jet wings.
The Audi Sportback Concept is based on the latest Audi architecture that underpins the new A4 sedan, A5 Coupe and Q5 crossover. Sizewise, the Sportback Concept is about 1.5 in. longer than an A6. Using Audi’s new platform, designers were able to move the front axle further forward for better weight distribution. The suspension makes much use of aluminum components to save unsprung weight, as do the carbon-ceramic brake rotors—15.0 in. up front clamped by 6-piston calipers with 14.0-in. rear discs.
The Sportback Concept’s shock absorbers use Audi’s continuous damping control (CDC) that adjust to the manner in which the car is being driven, as well as the road surface. The Sportback Concept marks Audi’s first use of electromechanical steering in a car with a longitudinally-mounted engine.
That engine is an exceptionally clean 3.0-liter V-6 turbodiesel, the same engine available this March in the Q7 SUV. Sensors in the engine’s combustion chamber enable a precise regulation of the combustion processes, and their use marks a first for any engine in the world. AdBlue injection enables the 3.0 TDI to pass even California’s stringent emissions.
The 3.0 TDI’s 225 bhp (DIN) and 406 lb.-ft. of torque combined with Audi’s 8-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission and Quattro all-wheel drive propel the Sportback Concept to 100 km/h (62 mph) in under 7 sec., according to Audi. It also achieves an average fuel economy of 37 mpg.
Due to the Sportback Concept’s architecture, an Audi source told us the car could handle up to a 10-cylinder engine, such as the one used in the S8. But the most likely engine for the U.S. market appears to be Audi’s new 3.0 TFSI supercharged V-6, with between 300-333 bhp.
