Review: Audi C7 RS7 Sportback (2014-17)

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• Twin-turbo V8 engine has power and character
• quattro system provides immense traction and stability
• Excellent dynamics
• Liftback practicality and generally spacious interior…

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• … but limited rear seat headroom
• Suspension lacks compliance
• Weight blunts agility
• Price premium to Audi C7 RS6

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Review: Audi C7.I RS7 Sportback (2014)

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Overview

Released in February 2014, the Audi C7 Series I (C7.I) RS7 Sportback was a high-performance, five-door liftback. Manufactured in Neckarsulm, Germany, the all-wheel drive Audi RS7 Sportback was powered by a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine that was mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

4.0 TFSI V8: CRDB engine

Like the Audi C7 RS6 , the C7 RS6 was powered by Audi’s CRDB engine which had a hypereutectic aluminium-silicon alloy block, forged steel crankshaft, aluminium alloy cylinder head with ‘hot side in’ design, double overhead camshafts with rear chain drives, variable intake and exhaust camshaft timing, direct fuel injection (Audi’s ‘Fuel Stratified Injection’ or FSI) and a compression ratio of 10.1:1. Significantly, the CRDB engine had two twin-scroll turbochargers mounted in the engine’s inner ‘V’ which provided relative boost pressure of up to 1.2 bar and water-cooled intercoolers to condense the intake air.

The CRDB engine also featured:

• A ‘cylinder on demand’ management system which could shut down the intake and exhaust valves of cylinders 2, 3, 5 and 8 at low to intermediate engine speeds. Furthermore, active engine bearings used out-of-phase counter-oscillations to compensate for the vibrations that occurred during four-cylinder operation; and,
• A start-stop function which enabled the engine to shut down when the vehicle was stationary to reduce fuel consumption.

The Audi RS7 Sportback could accelerate from rest to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and had a top speed of 305 km/h (if not electronically limited to 250 km/h or 280 km/h). Over the combined EU test cycle, the RS7 Sportback recorded fuel consumption of 9.8 litres per 100 km. [su_table responsive=”yes”]

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Body and dimensions

The Audi RS7 Sportback had a ‘hybrid aluminium’ chassis which consisted of around 20 per cent aluminium for a weight saving of approximately 15 per cent compared to an all-steel body. Compared to the Audi A7 Sportback on which it was based, the RS7 Sportback was 43 mm longer (at 5012 mm), the same width (1911 mm) and 1 mm lower (1419 mm), though wheelbase length was unchanged (2915 mm); with a frontal area of 2.29 m2, the drag coefficient was 0.30 Cd. Inside, cargo capacity for the RS7 Sportback was 535 litres, though this increased to 1390 litres when the rear seats were folded.

Air suspension or dynamic ride control

The Audi RS7 Sportback was fitted with air suspension which could lower the body by 20 mm, while adaptive damping adjusted the suspension’s response according to the condition of the road, driving style and the mode selected in the Audi drive select system.

As an alternative to air suspension, a ‘dynamic ride control’ system was also offered which used steel springs and three-stage adaptive dampers that were connected to one another via diagonal oil lines and a central valve.

quattro and torque vectoring

For the Audi RS7 Sportback, the quattro four-wheel drive system included a self-locking ‘Crown Gear’ centre differential and open front and rear differentials. In normal conditions, the system provided a 40:60 front:rear torque split. If traction was lost, however, up to 85 per cent of the engine’s torque could be directed to the rear axle, and up to 70 per cent to the front axle. The quattro system also included front and rear electronic differential locks which could brake spinning wheels to enable cross-axle torque transfers.

The RS7 Sportback also had a ‘torque vectoring’ rear axle which could vary the torque distribution between the rear wheels to generate yaw and thereby correct over- or under-steer.

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the Audi RS7 Sportback included dual front airbags, front and rear side airbags, full-length curtain airbags (i.e. for front and rear occupants), ABS, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control and front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters. 

Features: RS7 Sportback

Standard features for the Audi RS7 Sportback included 21-inch alloy wheels, a 600 watt Bose surround sound system with fourteen speakers, a twelve-channel DSP amplifier and a CD/DVD player, Audi’s Multimedia Interface (MMI) with a retractable eight-inch monitor, MMI touch pad, hard drive navigation, digital TV reception and digital radio (DAB+), Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity and audio streaming, four-zone climate control air conditioning, power adjustable and heated front RS seats, honeycomb-quilted Valcona leather upholstery, cruise control, LED headlights, a head-up display, Audi’s ‘parking system plus’ with front and rear cameras, split and folding rear seats, a three-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel with gearshift paddles, remote central locking with proximity key, power windows and heated mirrors with folding function, a power adjustable steering column (for height and reach), driver’s seat memory settings, ambient lighting, a power-operated tailgate with gesture control, tyre pressure monitoring, a glass sunroof, an alarm and immobiliser.

From the driver’s seat, the RS7 Sportback’s instruments featured black backgrounds, white scales, red needles and a three-dimensional ‘RS7’ logo in the tachometer. The RS7 also had a unique menu which displayed boost pressure, oil temperature and a lap timer.

Related links

• Press Kit: Audi C7 RS7 Sportback (February 2014)
• Specifications: Audi C7 RS7 Sportback (February 2014)

Review: Audi C7.II RS7 Sportback (2015-17)

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Overview

Officially released in Australia in May 2015, the Audi C7 Series II (C7.II) RS7 could be identified by its revised headlights, single frame grille, air inlets, bumpers, side sills, rear lights and tailpipes. Within the instrument cluster, there was a new high-resolution ‘Driver Information System’ (DIS) – positioned between the speedometer and tachometer – which could provide map-based navigation. The DIS was powered by the MIB2 infotainment system which used an NVIDIA Tegra 30 quad-core processor.

Although power and torque outputs were unchanged, the C7.II RS7 Sportback engine was revised for Euro VI emissions compliance; fuel consumption was also reduced to 9.5 litres per 100 km for the combined ADR 81/02 test cycle.

Audi RS7 Sportback performance

Production of the Audi RS7 Sportback performance commenced in late 2015 with deliveries expected in early 2016. Compared to the standard 4.0 TFSI engine, the engine for RS7 Sportback performance has:

• Modified exhaust valves;
• A 200 rpm increase in maximum engine speed;
• ‘Optimised inner geometry’ for the turbochargers;
• An overboost function which increased on-demand torque from 700 Nm to 750 Nm. If the engine/transmission setting is in ‘dynamic’ mode, the overboost function is activated automatically under full load; and,
• Unique engine management system.

The RS7 Sportback performance could accelerate from rest to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds (compared to 3.9 seconds for the standard C7 RS7 Sportback), though fuel consumption was unchanged. [su_table responsive=”yes”]

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Safety equipment

For the Audi C7.II RS7 Sportback, standard safety equipment was extended to include:

• Audi’s ‘pre sense plus’ system: the pre sense plus system used two long range radars and a windscreen-mounted to camera to detect obstacles ahead. If the onboard computer determined that a collision was likely, visual and acoustic warnings would be given and the brake system would be pre-filled. If the driver failed to react, a braking jolt would occur as a ‘haptic’ warning, the braking system prepared so that if the driver did apply the brakes, then the appropriate braking force would be applied. If there was still no reaction from the driver, the system would apply partial braking to mitigate the collision and, if a collision could not be avoided, maximum braking force would be autonomously applied to reduce the severity of the collision;
• Adaptive cruise control (ACC): radar-based cruise control which maintained a pre-set distance from the car ahead. For the RS6, ACC included a ‘stop & go’ function for low speeds which could bring the vehicle to a stop and accelerate from rest;
• Audi active lane assist: operating at speeds in excess of 65 km/h, a video camera could detect lane markings. If the vehicle approached a lane marking without indicating, the steering system would make automatic adjustments to keep the vehicle in its lane. The steering wheel could also be set to vibrate to warn the driver;
• Audi side assist: used two radar sensors to monitor the area 70 metres behind the vehicle during lane change manoeuvres at speeds over 30 km/h. If there was a vehicle in the driver’s blind spot or an approaching vehicle was detected, the driver would be alerted by a warning LED in the respective door mirror. If the driver activated the turn signal, the LED would flash several times at high frequency; and,
• Audi pre sense rear: if a rear-end collision was anticipated, the seats would be moved into the safest position for a collision.

Features: Audi C7.II RS7 Sportback

Standard features for the Audi C7.II RS7 Sportback were extended to include Matrix beam LED headlights which could dim specific diodes to divert their pool of light around oncoming and following traffic without reducing their intensity in other areas; dynamic indicators were also fitted as standard.

Features: Audi RS7 Sportback performance

The Audi RS7 Sportback performance was fitted with 21-inch cast aluminium wheels with an exclusive 5-V-spoke star design in matt titanium look with a gloss turned finished. Visually, the RS6 Avant performance could be identified by the ‘quattro’ logo on the air inlet duct and add-17 parts in matt titanium look including the frame of the Singleframe grille, the front spoiler and the lateral flaps in the air inlets, the trim strips at the side windows, the exterior mirror housings and the top edge of the diffuser insert at the rear of the vehicle.

Inside, the RS7 Sportback performance featured combination Alcantara and Valcona upholstery, contrasting blue honeycomb stitching and a carbon-fibre ‘blue twill’ inlay.

Related links

• Specifications: Audi C7.II RS7 Sportback (May 2015)
• Technical Data: Audi C7.II RS7 Sportback (May 2015)
• Audi Australia: Audi RS7 Sportback
• Wikipedia.org: Audi RS7 Sportback