All things aside, the new Audi A7 TFSI Quattro beats out many a rival in the segment for family cars.

To be frank, I didn’t pay much notice to design and space as Audi is consistently above par in terms of form and quality. However, the fastback roofline on the new A7 is one of the sexiest curves I’ve seen on a car.

Performance eclipsed the sizzling design for me, as the drive in this vehicle was one of the most solid and satisfying that still seemed ideal for family outings. 

A chief part of the reason had to do with the lack of strain the new A7 demanded: The accelerator reacted almost instantaneously with such grace and agility that I hardly felt the need to apply any real pressure. Likewise for the brake.

The super-charged V6 engine definitely deserved praise on the highway, as it was impossible to feel I was going anywhere over 100 kilometers per hour despite at times breaching 130 kph.

I had thought the previous A6 performed nicely, but the A7 won miles of extra points for the kind of inexhaustible power the V6 generates together with the extra-light hybrid body.

What this all means is that the car can be catapulted from idle to its maximum torque of 44.9kg-m within seconds. Horsepower is a strong 310, while 0-100 kph takes less than 6 seconds.

Fuel economy was around 8 kilometers per liter, which is not bad for a car of this size. If you opt for the diesel, the official economy is 13 kilometers per hour.

As for the all-wheel drive, I didn’t have a chance to test it out because there weren’t really any rough roads to use it on.

The Self-locking Center Differential is another much-talked-about function for the Quattro as it allows the car to continuously react to road conditions. Unless you’re a mechanic it’s hard to notice a real difference from other cars, but perhaps that was what ensured such a comfortable trip.

The car’s interior is dramatically minimal ― the Multi-media Interface being much simpler than many of the foreign cars, some of which tend to believe the more complex the control panel, the sexier ― and the “wrap-around design” increased the snugness of the cabin.

The hangeul-enabled navigation system was better than most in imported vehicles, although the bar is rising. It turns out it was exclusively developed for the Korean market. Being used to our locally made navigators, I was a bit disappointed because the directions are not as detailed or accurate.

Boot space was initially not as big as I thought, but when the back seats are folded, it went up to as much as 1,390 liters.

The new Audi A7 would be at the top of my list for a safe and solid car for my family. Plus, it’s pretty hot looking for such a stable performer.

All the standard safety control systems including eight standard airbags are part of the package.

Prices for the new A7 start at 82.6 million won ($73,500), going up to 89 million won for the Dynamic model and slightly over 100 million won for the high-end Prestige.

By Kim Ji-hyun (jemmie@heraldcorp.com) 



Design
★★★★★
Interior
★★★★★
Fuel economy
★★★★☆
Cost and A/S
★★★★☆