DIESEL S EXPRESS (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 65

The second generation Audi S7 Sportback packs a massive 700Nm punch from its 350PS TDI diesel engine. The car also features an eight-speed tiptronic transmission, quattro four wheel drive, adaptive damping and lots of the brand's performance technology into a practical but exclusively styled five-door coupe-style silhouette. On the used market, you might find it a rare and tempting proposition for the money being asked.

Modelsword count: 6

5dr GT hatch (3.0 TDI diesel)

Historyword count: 109

The original 4G8 Audi S7 Sportback model of 2012 proved that a faster version of the brand's swoopy A7 Sportback would sell in small numbers. So when the second generation 4K8-era A7 Sportback was launched in 2018, plans were put in place for another S7 model, which duly arrived in 2020. This time though, instead of the previous car's twin turbo petrol 4.0-litre V8 (reprised in much more potent form for the top RS 7 Sportback model), there was a 3.0 V6 diesel instead. There was a light facelift in 2023 which saw the S7 range through to the end of production in late 2023. There was no replacement.

What You Getword count: 243

You'll buy this car because of what it says about its brand and because of what it says about you, with a look that's measured, efficient, sporting and quietly exclusive. The long bonnet, the long wheelbase and the short overhangs create perfect proportions, while the swooping roofline is reasonably successful in giving this five-door model the character of a coupe. Subtle, eye-catching details set this MK2 S7 apart from its humbler FK8-era A7 stablemates. The wide, low Singleframe grille features lamellas in aluminium and a centre section in dark chrome matt. The air inlets are enlarged over those normally featuring on an A7, with very bold contours, and their honeycomb-structure inserts are finished in titanium black. The blade running through them is trimmed in gleaming aluminium, as are the exterior mirror housings. Features that distinguish this S7 from its S6 saloon counterpart include the funnels in the air inlets and the angular trim strips on the side sills. The cabin is as well appointed as you'd expect from a range-topping A7 Sportback model, with beautiful monogrammed leather sports seats, and an S-specific graphic layout for the standard-fit Audi Virtual Cockpit instrument binnacle digital display which here features a central rev counter. The back seat offers reasonable space for three adults, but much more comfortable room for two and you get a fold down centre armrest with storage and cup holders. Out back, in this five-door model there's a 535-litre boot, extendable to 1,390-litres.

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