Review: Audi C7.I S7 Sportback (2012-14)

Overview

Released in October 2012, the Audi C7 Series I (C7.I) S7 Sportback was a high-performance liftback. Manufactured in Neckarsulm, Germany, the Audi S7 Sportback was powered by a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine that was mated to a seven-speed double clutch transmission (Audi’s ‘S-Tronic’) and drove all four wheels via Audi’s quattro system. The S7 Sportback could accelerate from rest to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds.

4.0 TFSI V8 engine

Based on the V10 engine from the Audi C6 RS6 , the 4.0-litre twin-turbo CEUC V8 petrol engine had direct injection (Audi’s ‘Fuel Stratified Injection’ or FSI), double overhead camshafts per cylinder bank, continuously variable valve timing for the intake and exhaust camshafts, four valves per cylinder and a compression ratio of 10.1:1. Furthermore, the two twin-scroll turbochargers and had twin air- and water-cooled intercoolers. The engine also featured:

A ‘cylinder on demand’ cylinder management system which could deactivate four cylinders under part load throttle applications. When in operation, an Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) system would be activated and use four microphones – integrated into the vehicle’s headlining – to produce anti-phase sounds through the vehicle’s sound system;
An ‘idle stop’ system which enabled the engine to shut down when the vehicle was stationary;
A brake energy regeneration system which converted the vehicle’s kinetic energy – when braking or coasting – to recharge the battery; and,
Engine noise minimisation devices included electronically-controlled bearings, a sound actuator, flaps in the exhaust system and a newly developed two-mass flywheel with a centrifugal force pendulum in the transmission.

Audi C7.I S7 Sportback specifications
	Engine	Trans.	Peak power	Peak torque
S7 Sportback	4.0-litre CEUC twin-turbo petrol V8	7sp DCT	309 kW at 5500-6400 rpm	550 Nm at 1400-5200 rpm

Dimensions and suspension

Compared to the Audi A7 Sportback on which it was based, the S7 Sportback was 11 mm longer (at 4980 mm) and 10 mm lower (1410 mm), though width (1911 mm) and wheelbase length (2914 mm) were unchanged.

The S7 Sportback had five-link front suspension and self-tracking trapezoidal link rear suspension. For the S7 Sportback, the adaptive air suspension with variable damping was also fitted as standard, enabling the body to be lowered by 10 mm from its standard position.

quattro

The Audi S7 Sportback’s quattro four-wheel drive system utilised an Audi-developed ‘Crown Gear’ centre differential. In normal conditions, the system provided a 40:60 front:rear torque split. If traction was lost, however, up to 80 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 included open front and rear differentials with electronic differential locks which could brake spinning wheels to enable cross-axle torque transfers. The latter function could be activated pre-emptively by a torque vectoring feature which braked the vehicle’s inside wheels when cornering to reduce understeer.

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the Audi S7 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

Standard features for the Audi S7 Sportback included 20-inch alloy wheels with 265/35 R20 tyres, a 600 watt Bose sound system with fourteen speakers, a CD player, MP3/WMA-compatibility and auxiliary inputs, Multi Media Interface (Audi’s ‘MMI’) with an eight-inch colour touch screen, hard-drive navigation and a digital TV tuner, four-zone climate control air conditioning, power adjustable and heated front seats, combination Alcantara/leather sports seats, cruise control, Bluetooth connectivity, head-up display, LED headlights with high beam assist, front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers, a leather-wrapped sports steering wheel with gearshift paddles, split and folding rear seats, remote central locking with proximity key, power windows and heated mirrors, cargo net, driver memory settings (seats and mirrors), tyre pressure monitoring, an electromechanical parking brake, driver memory settings (seat and door mirrors), ambient lighting, a power-operated glass sunroof, 12 volt power outlet, trip computer, an alarm and immobiliser.

Review: Audi C7.II S7 Sportback (2015-17)