The next-gen S7 was caught testing in the wild and looks great for a prototype
by Robert Moore, on LISTEN 12:41The large, four-door hatchback or “Sportback” body is one of the coolest and stylish styles you can find. Prior to 2012, Mercedes was nailing the luxury Sportback niche with the Mercedes CLS Coupe. That dominating presence led BMW to develop the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe and Audi to develop the A7 Sportback. The A7 Sportback hit the scene in 2010 and the S7, a beefed up version of the luxury family hauler came two years later. Powered by a 4.0-liter V-8, the S7 is capable of hitting the 60-mph sprint in 4.3 seconds while looking good and hauling a couple of kids. The S7 went through an update for the 2015 model year, which means the spy shots you see here are our first look at the second-generation S7. Right away you can see some Audi Prologue DNA in there, and we’re betting that it will even pack a little more power too. But, more about that later.
While there is next to nothing known about the next S7, we’re just happy we’re getting a good look at it this early on. You can easily spot design cues from cars like the Audi Prologue Avant Concept, but this is the first time the S7 has been caught in the wild, so there’s still more to the car than what meets the eye. With that said, let’s dive on in and talk a little about what this model could bring to the table in the next few years.
-
2019 Audi S7
-
Year:2019
-
Make:
-
Model:
-
Price:
-
car segment:
-
size:
-
Purpose:
-
body style:
Exterior
The first thing that comes to mind is this prototypes uncanny resemblance to the Prologue Avant Concept. It’s sporting the same stretched out hexagonal grille and those small but dominating corner air intakes. Of course, the fascia isn’t a finished piece and doesn’t sport the proper grille or intake inserts, but it does offer a firm idea of what it will look like when it is finished. The other big thing to note up front is those thin headlights. On the current S7 the lower, outer corner of each headlamp dips down. On this prototype, the bottom edge of the light is flat while the top edge follows the contour of the hood. It’s a much cleaner design than the current model and should like great when the camo comes off. The hood on this prototype is also oddly smooth, which could point to Audi ditching those sharp body lines that are found on the hood of the current model.
The first thing that comes to mind is this prototypes uncanny resemblance to the Prologue Avant Concept.
Moving over to the side, the new S7 will sport that same distinct body line on the bottom of the door between the two wheel arches. The mirrors on this prototype are just a little shorter, and it looks like the rear quarter panels have been extended outward even more than on the current model. Pair those wide rear quarters with the low body height and you have the definition of sitting pretty. The roof seems to follow the shape sharp grade in the rear for that true “Sportback” look while the rear quarter glass slopes downward more than on the current model. The sharp body line on the rear quarters looks to fade away or smooth out as it gets closer to the headlights – a feature that could give the new S7 a truly new look.
The new S7 looks to sport a new pair of taillights in the rear. While covered in camo, we can see that they are much thinner than on the current model and have a more rounded contour on the top and outside edges. The tailgate-mounted lenses also take on an all new shape, coming to a point much lower than on the current model. Expect the lens layout to be completely different as well. It looks like the adaptive spoiler carries over with the same shape and design of the current model. There rear fascia doesn’t look to be too different. When production ready, it should sport a mild diffuser-like element along with twin-dual exhaust outlets.
New Audi S7 vs. Previous Audi S7
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interior
As is the usual case with spy shots, the interior is still a complete mystery, but I wouldn’t expect it to change much. On the current model, the design of the door panels and dash create a wraparound effect that gives the car a feeling width. As is the standard for Audi vehicles, expect to see a large, touchscreen display perched on top of the center stack along with redesigned HVAC vents positioned just below it. I wouldn’t expect the center console to change much. If anything, it will likely be toned down a bit with fewer buttons. The dash, door panels, and center console should get carbon fiber inserts while the pedals will likely be polished aluminum with black inserts. Expect to see a flat bottom steering wheel, sport seats with lots of side support, and Audi’s virtual cockpit in place of the traditional instrument cluster. The interior will likely be offered in a two-tone style with updated colors for the new generation.
Drivetrain
There’s no word as to what engine will be used to motivate the S7, but the current model has a 4.0-liter V-8 that delivers 450 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. It’s enough to push the S7 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds to a limited top speed of 155 mph. It’s possible that Audi could bring a new engine to the S7, but we’re expecting the 4.0-liter to carry over. It may, however, take a minor power update that could push it to as much as 470 horsepower and 420 pound-feet for torque. This would drop the 60-mph sprint to 4.3 to 4.4 seconds while stop speed will still be limited.
The S7 will undoubtedly get Audi’s Quattro all-wheel drive system along with an S Tronic, seven-speed dual clutch transmission. In the spy shots, you can see that the S7 is sitting remarkably low, this is thanks to the Audi Adaptive air suspension system that will get S7-specific tuning by the time the car goes into production. This system helps keep the car level during normal driving and eliminate body roll during extreme maneuvers.
Pricing
There’s no telling what kind of price point the S7 will have when it hits showrooms in 2019 – so much can change between now and then. The current model retails for $79,900 in entry-level Premium Plus trim while the range-topping Prestige model commands $83,475. The Prestige trim comes standard with things like 20-inch wheels, head-up display with navigation info, powered soft-closing doors, and ambient interior lighting, among other things. Pricing by 2019 could climb to as much as $80,500 for the entry model and $85,000 for the prestige, but we’ll talk more about that closer to the car’s official launch.
References
Read our full review on the 2015 Audi S7.
Competition
BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe
Sexy meets powerful when it comes to the 6 Series Gran Coupe. Featuring the “Sportback” style body to go with traditional BMW design cues like the twin kidney radiator grille and powerful body lines, the 6 Series Gran Coupe is a strong proposition to the S7 Sportback. Available in two different trim levels, the Gran Coupe can be had with a 3.0-liter in-line six that delivers 315 horsepower or a 4.4-liter V-8 that delivers 445 horsepower. The 640i trim starts out at $79,800 and increases to as much as $82,800 in xDrive form. The 4.4-liter toting 650i commands $91,200 in two-wheel drive or $94,200 in xDrive form.
Read our full review on the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe here.
Mercedes CLS Coupe
The Mercedes CLS Coupe sports a similar body style with an aggressively sloping roof and a rearward sitting passenger compartment. With a gorgeous front end and beautiful side profile, the CLS Coupe is the car to go with if you want a wide variety to choose from. The lineup starts out with the CLS400 that is powered by a 3.0-liter V-6 that delivers 329 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. It starts out at $66,900 but climbs to $69,400 if you want all-wheel drive. Next up is the CLS550 Coupe that comes with a 4.7-liter V-8 that has 402 horsepower and 443 pound-feet on tap. Pricing begins at $74,850 and climbs to as much as $77,350 with all-wheel drive. Then there’s the bonkers AMG CLS63 S Coupe that gets a hand-built 5.5-liter V-8. With 577 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, this monster of a Sportback will set you back at least $108,900 at the time of this writing.
Read our full review on the Mercedes CLS here.
Conclusion
When it comes to sporty four-doors cars, the Audi S7, BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe, and the Mercedes CLS Coupe are the cars you really want to look at. Assuming you can afford to spend anywhere between $70,000 and $90,000 by the time you sign your name on the dotted line. As a personal preference, I tend to lead toward the CSL as my choice in a luxury model, but at the end of the day the S7 is just as sporty and offers similar power. Audi has a habit of not changing their models too much between generations, with some generational shifts looking more like facelifts than anything, but when it comes to the next gen S7 – and the A7, for the matter – I think we’re going to see something worthy of being dubbed a generational change. On top of that, the car looks like it will sport various design cues from the Prologue concepts, which is a big plus in my book. Here’s to hoping that Audi doesn’t let us down this time around.
Spy Shots
July 13, 2017 – Second Testing Session
So far, the upcoming S7 has yet to really drop any of its camouflage, but it has changed a bit since the last time we saw it. Most notably, the corner air intakes have changed complete, extend a little further toward the grille and are now more defined than before. The center louver that used to traverse across the vent is now gone, and there’s now a triangular trim element in the outer edge of each vent. Some camo was removed from the top of the headlight, so we can see the straight LED strip that runs across the top of the headlight and lines up with the upper louver of the new, wider grille.
The other big changes come into play around back, where we can see that the S7 will get the same red light strip that we saw on the new A8, and we can finally make out part of the official production taillight matrix. Ideally, it’ll look like a slightly smaller A8, with a little more aggressiveness thanks to is “S” designation. As you can see, the lower fascia in the rear has also changed pretty dramatically, with a huge recess between the exhaust outlets. The dual exhaust outlets will likely go chrome by the time production happens, and could even get units similar to those sleek outlets on the A8.
Outside of looks, there’s also something more we need to think about. Since the A8 has finally made its debut, we know that Audi is working on a 4.0-liter V-8, and it’s quite possible that it will find its way into the S7. In the A8, expected horsepower will be around 460, which would be a 10-horsepower improvement over the current model, and would knock the 2.9-liter V-6 from the Panamera 4S out of the running – good news when you consider the 4S only delivers 440 horsepower, which would be a downgrade in terms of power. The other thing to note is that the first prototype had two huge sensors on the grille that this one doesn’t. That tells us that Audi is planning to make the S7 at least semi-autonomous and will likely get the same AI traffic assist that comes in the new A8. The second prototype most likely had the production-ready sensors mounted for testing, so you can count on this technology being there by the time the S7 hits showrooms.
September 22, 2016 - First testing session
Update History
Update 7/13/2017: The Audi S7 was caught putting in some more work during the warm weather in Europe. It hasn’t dropped much in terms of camo, but there are a few changes we can spot, so join us in the special spy shots section below to see them and learn more about the latest word surrounding the S7.
