This new four-ringer delivers hatchback practicality at its most attractive.
When automakers begin development on a new model, there are typically three or more competing design proposals, one of which is then chosen to make it into metal. This standard operating procedure was discarded with the Audi A7 Sportback, says Audi boss Rupert Stadler: “Everything was right in the first place.” Indeed, this large hatchback could be the most beautiful of all Audis. Long, wide, and low, it’s styled with smooth and supremely clean lines. The front end is better proportioned than the latest A8’s and seems cool and almost stoic—especially with the optional LED headlights. The side view recalls the most handsome (if not the most reliable) of 1970s hatchbacks, such as the Rover SD-1 and the Citroën CX; the rear end is cut off sharply, like an Italian supercar of that same era. This car is free of the gimmicks that you’ll find on many others in this class, and we haven’t talked to anyone who doesn’t admire its looks.
