The A7 four-door coupe lineup is just over 10 years old, so the story of the evolution of its performance variant is quite short. Audi has nonetheless given the brawny car some updates over the years, let’s take a quick look at how the RS7 Sportback has changed over the years.
2009 Audi Sportback Concept
The Audi A7 was previewed by the 2009 Sportback Concept, an amalgamation of the comfort and space of a full-sized sedan and the elegance of a ‘fastback’ design. The car, first targeted at the North American market and squarely against the beautiful Mercedes-Benz CLS, would soon catch the attention of people around the world - mainly because of its design. It also previewed the company’s new range of ‘clean diesel’ 3.0-litre V6 TDI engine.
First-generation Audi A7 Sportback (2010-2014)
The Audi A7 Sportback was first unveiled to the world in July 2010 and launched in various markets later that year. The attractive design and plusher interior was expected to make a better impression on potential buyers and thus was launched before the A6 sedan.
India launch (2011)
The A7 Sportback made its way to India at the end of 2011 with prices starting at Rs 64 lakh, ex-showroom. It was offered with 3.0-litre V6 petrol and diesel engines. Our review found it to be 'Moneyed Brilliance' - check it out here.
2012 Audi S7 Sportback
It was the year of musclecar-like four-door sedans/coupes - the Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG, BMW M6 Gran Coupe and Audi S7 Sportback were launched keeping in mind the demand for performance variants of ‘normal’ road-going luxury cars. The S7 Sportback was powered by a 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine developing 414bhp/550Nm paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and quattro all-wheel drive system. The claimed 0-100kmph time was 4.7 seconds. It was never launched in India.
2013 Audi RS7 Sportback
The crazy RS7 Sportback made its debut in 2013, but in classic Audi style didn’t stand out as much from the A7 in terms of exterior design. While the blink-and-miss design may have made it understated, the performance upgrades made it a perfect sleeper. The S7’s 4.0-litre, twin-turbo motor had been tweaked to develop a whopping 553bhp/700Nm and, paired to an eight-speed torque converter and quattro AWD, could achieve 0-100kmph in 3.9 seconds.
The Audi RS7 Sportback was launched in India in January 2014 at a price of Rs 1.29 crore, ex-showroom.
First-generation Facelift (2014-2017)
The Audi A7/RS7 received the new Audi family design updates, which introduced angular LED light updates and minor visual upgrades on the outside. New technology like matrix LED headlights (with individual LED arrays which could bend light to improve corner visibility, or switch off to avoid blinding oncoming traffic), sequential LED indicators, improved multimedia system and safety assists were introduced. All engines now complied with Euro-6 emission standards.
The RS7 Sportback also received the visual upgrades, with no performance updates, and was launched in India in May 2015 at Rs 1.4 crore, ex-showroom.
RS7 Performance (2015)
The RS7 Performance could match the V10-powered R8 supercar in a drag race! With power bumped up to 597bhp and an ‘overboost’ function offering 750Nm of peak torque for short bursts (including at a launch from standstill) along with a reduced weight, the RS7 could do the 0-100kmph run in an eye-watering 3.7 seconds.
It was launched in India in November 2016, priced at Rs 1.59 crore, ex-showroom. We took it to the track, and here's how it fared.
Second-generation Audi A7 Sportback (2018-present)
The second-generation A7 was all about improvement, the basic winning formula of sleek design, spacious and luxurious interiors didn’t need to be tweaked a lot for risk of spoiling it. A new platform made the car lighter, the engines were more efficient, the interior featured an all-digital interface - following the trend set by the flagship A8 sedan a year earlier.
2019 Audi RS7 Sportback
The latest RS7 Sportback was launched at the final Frankfurt Motor Show in 2019. It followed the trend of the all-new A7, evolutionary exterior and interior redesign, efficient powertrain and a lot more features.
The 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 continues to be used, but now develops 592bhp of maximum power and improved maximum torque of 800Nm. 0-100kmph is achieved in just 3.6 seconds. It is now available in India, priced at Rs 1.94 crore, ex-showroom. More details here.
