Audi A7 Sportback and RS5 launched in India

German car manufacturer Audi launched their A7 sportback and RS5 models in Gurgaon today.

The Sportback comes with a price tag of Rs. 64 lakh for the 3.0 litre V6 petrol variant and Rs. 90 lakh for the 3.0 litre V6 diesel variant.

A7: Engines and Performance

The A7 3.0 TFSI petrol is powered by a 2,995 cc V6 engine that churns out 310 hp of maximum power and 440 Nm of maximum torque.

While the A7 3.0 TDI diesel is powered by a 2,995 cc V6 engine that produces 245 hp of maximum power and 500 Nm of maximum torque. Both the engines are mated to a 7-speed S-Tronic transmission and sport a Quattro All-Wheel-Drive system. Also read: Audi A7 Sportback India launch on May 11th in Gurgaon

The car’s V6 diesel engine is capable of hitting the 100 km/hr mark in just 6.5 seconds and can push the Sportback to a top speed of 250 km/hr.

A7: Exterior, Interiors and Features

The A7 addresses a new breed of customers who want vehicles which offer both luxury and a sporty nature. A7 has sporty characteristics like short overhangs, dynamic contours and a coupe like roof line meeting the expectations of its target customers who are young entrepreneurs and business men.

The A7 measures 4.9 m x 1.9 m x 1.4 m (length x width x height) and is at par with the Mercedes-Benz E-Class in terms of size. The all-weather headlights, sport daytime running LED lights (an Audi trademark) and bi-xenon headlamps gives A7 a distinctive, magnetic look.

The rear of the A7 has large tail lamps accentuating the Sportback’s width. The interiors of the A7 will have borrowed design cues from the A6 and the A8 interiors. The luxury saloon will accommodate four passengers in utter luxury. It has 535 litres of boot space which can be further increased to 1,390 litres. The A7’s front seat is positioned low and can be adjusted in 10 different ways for comfort.

A7 vs. The competition

The A7 will compete with cars like the Mercedes-Benz CLS Coupe. The CLS Coupe is powered by a 3,498 cc V6 petrol engine making 272 hp of peak power and 350 Nm of peak torque. The CLS accelerates from 0 – 100 km/hr in 7 seconds (making it slower than the sportback diesel). The CLS Coupe is also available in a diesel version which is powered by a 3.0 litre V6 motor churning out 224 hp of peak power and 540 Nm of maximum torque. The CLS diesel can achieve a top speed of 264 km/hr which is a notch higher than the A7.

The Audi RS5 coupe will set buyers back by Rs. 76 lakh. Let’s take a closer look at the RS5’s features and specifications.

Audi RS5: Engine and Performance

The RS5 was first unveiled at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. Under the hood of the RS5 lies a high-revving 4.2 litre, V8 petrol motor that belts out 450 hp of maximum power and 430 Nm of maximum torque.

The engine is mated to a 7-speed automatic S-tronic gearbox and sports Audi’s Quattro, All-Wheel-Drive System. The RS5 can achieve a top speed of 249 km/hr and accelerates from 0 – 100 km/hr in just 4.6 seconds.

RS5 : Exterior and Interior

The RS5 is a beautifully-styled coupe with sharp contours that give the car an athletic look. The interiors of the RS5 are black in colour and the instrument panel is surrounded with piano black finish.

Aluminium is aplenty inside the RS5 and the footrests, door sill trims and RS5 logos are all doused with it generously. The car sports seats with integrated head restraints that are made of a leather-Alcantara material. The seats are electronically adjustable.

The gorgeous instrument cluster sports white lettering which is in contrast to the black gauges. The RS5 has a driver information system that displays oil-temperature gauge and a lap timer. Audi offers an optional MMI (Multi Media Interface) navigation system.

RS5: Drive select and Quattro

RS5 is equipped with Audi’s ‘drive select’ that allows the user to switch between three modes of operation – comfort, auto, and dynamic. Based on the mode selected, the vehicle’s dynamics control system adjusts the steering, the seven-speed S-tronic, the sport differential, the engine, and the exhaust system.

Like all RS models from Audi’s stables, the RS5 comes with a Quattro permanent all-wheel drive. The crown-gear differential in the RS5 has the ability to vary distribution of torque by up to 70% to the front and 85% to the rear. The Drive select and Quattro will help the driver unleash the cars true potential of.

Audi India sales target and goal

Audi has been keen on expanding its product portfolio in India. The A7 Sportback as well as the RS5 were unveiled globally last year and are already available in India.

Audi India has set a goal of grabbing 30% of the Indian luxury car market by 2015 which is currently dominated by BMW (No.1) and Mercedes-Benz (No. 2). The company is hoping to sell around 4,800 cars this year and around 100 units of the A7 Sportback within the first year of the launch.