Audi A7 Sportback concept

Audi’s latest example of micro-nicheing made its motor show debut here in Paris. Outside, it’s striking how low this car appears to sit (although, at 1420mm high it’s taller than the A5 Sportback by 29 mm), an impression aided by the graceful arc of the beltline front to rear and its low-set intersection with the trailing edge of the trunk. One is drawn to the superb surface transition from fender to C-pillar, the helical detailing within the tail lamps and surface intersections radiused so tightly that they could almost be lead-filled and hand-finished. The stance of the vehicle is without reproach, appearing muscular and exceedingly elegant.

From the front we again had to play a game of guess-the-Audi, but the designers have shown as much restraint as is possible with their aggressive house DRG style. There are, of course, wonderfully intricate headlamp cans which, when specified with LEDs give a vision of a future where cars start to lose their human or animal facial characteristics, gaining something far more bionic instead.

Inside we find Audi at its predictable best with two surprising caveats. Firstly, while we welcome a return to the discretion of a fully retractable, integrated navigation screen, the chrome appliqué that crosses the IP and screen housing draws unnecessary attention to a surprisingly large gap. Secondly, in the press material Audi constantly references this car against the A8, but in execution and design the A7 is far more A6.

It’s fair to say that the A7 represents Audi at their current best and, unlike the quattro concept, the A7 only pays the subtlest of compliments to the first 100 coupé. The CDN team and many we spoke to felt the car remarkably Italianate for a brand, traditionally at least, so German. With Mercedes appearing increasingly Baroque and BMW returning to their southern European roots, maybe there’s room for Audi to return to the modern G-factor that made it so beguiling in the first place.