Test drive three opinions on the Audi A7
What is practicality, what is the most important indicator for this characteristic and how it is generally determined - we argue on the example of the new Audi A7
There are practical cars designed for a specific purpose. For example, strictly in order to overcome the most severe off-road. And there are simply incredibly beautiful cars, and the Audi A7 is definitely one of them.
You might think that about the practicality of a car costing from $ 53. needless to say, but this may be just a delusion. We figured it out on the example of a model that has been in the editorial office of Autonews. This is a car equipped with a 249 hp engine. with., with a price of about $ 340.
I sincerely admire what has been happening with Audi design in recent years. I remember very well the times when, at first, this brand was not treated as a serious representative of the premium class, then they recognized its status, but began to scold for the fact that all cars are similar, like 33 heroes led by Chernomor. Now, it seems to me, there is no such thing at all. Every next Audi model has something refreshingly new to it, and the A7 is no exception.
I've always liked unusual cars. Such that they were turned around on the road. For example, I had a Mazda RX-8. Can you imagine a more impractical car? Rotary engine, rear doors opening against the direction of travel, critically small amount of free space in the second row. But I was in love with this car for its originality.
The same happened with the A7. Outwardly, it seems to me, it looks like a fantastic concept Prologue - a car that, without makeup, could be filmed in any of the films about a super-tech future. These narrow headlights are simply a work of art. And the body with the name liftback is still something mysterious and new for me.
In general, it's easy to figure out why I fell in love with this car at first sight (yes, even if it is not my only love). Yes, he, perhaps, would not suit my brother, because he has four children, and shoving six people into the A7 is a task, perhaps doable, but painful. And it’s a wild idea to travel in such a composition further than the nearest supermarket.
But in other cases ... Why did anyone write this machine as impractical? The trunk volume of 535 liters is not a shameful indicator at all. The S-class, for example, has 25 liters less usable space, and no one complains about it. What's more, the Audi has a comfortable height, and for the fact that it is extremely convenient to put luggage here, thanks to the body type, which has a fifth door.
Could it be the helplessness on the road? Obviously, I'm not talking about dynamic performance. A car that accelerates to 100 km / h in 5,3 seconds will be inferior to few on a straight line. Yes, jumping on a high curb will be problematic. I said that this car is very beautiful, and this also applies to the body kit, which is easy to tear off, performing such exercises.
But otherwise there are no problems. The ground clearance, especially in the case of the car I drove, is regulated thanks to the air suspension. And do not forget about the quattro all-wheel drive - a special pride of Audi. So the only argument in favor of impracticality is the price, but this, in general, can be questioned.
Are you seriously? Is it really possible to seriously talk about practicality in relation to a car with a 3,0-liter turbocharged engine producing 340 horsepower? About dynamic characteristics - please. And here the A7 is just at its best: a bunch of powertrain, S-tronic and finely tuned suspension is just fantastic. This car seems to be a place on the track. At least I would love to ride it around the ring. It's a pity I didn't have time.
Practicality? Let's say I made money, saved up, won the lottery. And I bought myself this car. I spend about two to three hours a day in traffic jams, where power, as you understand, is far from the main thing. But fuel consumption is an indicator that worries me. According to the documents, everything is fine with this - 9,3 liters per 100 km of track through the city. In fact, of course, the situation is somewhat different.
In a busy metropolis in the mode of ragged morning and evening driving through congestion, the real consumption is about 14-15 liters. It is clear that earlier for a 340-horsepower car this was an extremely steep figure, and even now it is very good. However, my 110 hp car. with. consumes 9 liters in traffic jams.
However, I must admit that I had no problems with installing and removing a child seat at all. As well as in order to put a child in it. And this is a serious argument for me, because I have to carry out such a procedure quite often.
But even if I forget about the consumption and about the constant fingerprints on the touchscreen, I still never recognize the practicality of a machine, the price of which starts at $ 53. (versions with a 249-horsepower engine - from $ 340). For example, in 59, the A799, which at that time was the top novelty, could be bought for $ 2013. And in this case, I would really think that this car is practical. Even for me.
The impression is that it was yesterday. Old Leningradka, 2010, one of the network gas stations and Audi A7. This was my first business trip, and I remember it in the smallest detail. The task was simple: in Moscow, we refueled before the cut-off, sealed the gas tank flaps and went to St. Petersburg. It was necessary to get to the Northern capital, saving as much fuel as possible.
Of course, nine years ago, the road to St. Petersburg looked like it was not a federal highway, but an obstacle course, but all my attention was focused on the incomparable Audi A7. After the personal Alfa Romeo 156, this German liftback seemed like a mockery of the global auto industry: silhouette, power, workmanship and space dynamics (1,8 TwinSpark, I'm sorry!). A three-liter A7 with a capacity of 310 forces gained a hundred in 5,6 seconds, so my task to save fuel periodically crashed.
Over the past nine years, a lot has changed: we refuel not for $ 0,32, but for almost $ 0,65, we go to St. Petersburg on a toll road, and it's almost impossible to park in Moscow for free. The Audi A7 is also different: even more stylish, faster and more comfortable. But there is a problem: after the generation change in 2017, there was no breakthrough. She still has the same unique silhouette, the same proportions, and the back sofa is still cramped (by the standards of the class, of course).
The inside reminds of the technological progress of the Audi A7: soiled monitors instead of the usual buttons and switches, a huge screen instead of the classic tidy, a gearbox joystick and all the same fantastic feeling of lightness on the go. A7 is like a continuation of you: it feels what you want from it and adjusts at lightning speed.
Under the hood - a mighty supercharged "six", now at 340 forces. "A-seventh" has become even faster, more accurate and more understandable. She is not averse to hooliganism on the night Moscow Ring Road, so that the next morning imposingly sail along the clogged Varshavka. At the same time, frameless glass, a sloping roof, a predatory squint of optics and giant 21-inch wheels clearly make it clear that comfort alone is not enough for the owner.
Charisma is expensive, and the Audi A7 is no exception here: in nine years it has doubled in price in rubles.
