Upcoming Audi A7 gets first outing in saloon form

Big changes are coming for Audi’s internal combustion-engine line-up and that will include the new A7. It’s due to replace the existing A6 as part of the brand’s revised naming strategy, and will sit alongside an A7 Avant estate in 2025 - providing ICE alternatives to the upcoming pure electric A6 E-Tron. 

Despite the new name, the next Audi A7 will continue to rival the current A6’s traditional competition, such as the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class. 

We’ve spotted the A7 Avant already, so these latest spy images aren’t too surprising, because the saloon closely follows the estate’s design. Like the wagon, the saloon’s front-end takes inspiration from the new A5, with similarly shaped headlights and a low-set grille - although it’s larger on the A7. The era of hidden shutlines and clamshell bonnets is now long gone, with the front grille and headlights now sitting below the leading edge of the bonnet. 

The most obvious difference between today’s A7 and A6 is the coupe-like roofline of the A7 compared with the A6’s more traditional three-box profile. Here we can see the new A7 takes after the latter. The side bodywork surfacing appears to be much smoother than Audi’s current design language, with fewer creases and more emphasis on looking wide and aggressive. 

As we’ve seen with the Avant, the rear of the saloon features large lights that incorporate a full-width lightbar. Taking obvious inspiration from the e-tron GT and Q8 e-tron, the brake lights themselves are situated in a darkened lower section on either side of the tailgate, and don’t appear to be quite as three-dimensional as the A5 Avant’s units, which sit proud of the tailgate at their top edge. 

We don’t have any indication about the interior from these images, but it should feature Audi’s new generation of digital interfaces. This means the end of the twin-screen MMI system as found on the current A6/7 models, and instead the new car is likely to take more inspiration from the three-screen layout in the latest Q6 e-tron. 

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Under the new A7’s bonnet, Audi is expected to incorporate a new generation of hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrain options, with the latter offering more all-electric range than the current set-ups, thanks to larger battery packs. A hot S7 Avant version is likely in the future, but definitely on its way is the RS 7 Avant, which we’ve already spied testing. The performance range-topper will adopt an ultra-high-performance plug-in hybrid system, plus a more aggressive design with bespoke bodywork. 

Audi might have had a quiet couple of years until 2024, but this year has brought the beginning of a product revitalisation. There’s the all-new A5, Q5 and Q3, joining an updated A3 in the company’s combustion range. These are joined by the new A6 and Q6 e-trons, as well as an updated e-tron GT, in a rapidly expanding range of EVs. This new A7, in both Sportback and Avant forms, is expected to follow in 2025, by which time the Audi range will look very different from the one we know today.

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