Audi A7: The Humpback Of Ingolstadt

We may earn a commission from links on this page.

Audi calls its A7 a "large five-door coupe." We could get all doctrinaire and note that "coupe" comes from a French term for a single-seat carriage with one or two doors. Why is the word "hatchback" so bad?

Audi's counting on the A7 to fill the gap between its car line and the Q-ship SUVs, and in the class that includes the bustle-butt Acura ZDX and BMW models, the A7 marks a step ahead. But luxury hatchbacks haven't done well in America for the past few decades: they're more ungainly than sedans, yet have less space than a true wagon. The A7 will attempt to woo puzzled shoppers with a 290-hp supercharged V6.

Audi also showed off the range of its technological skills, from the Quattro concept to the high-tech TT that drove up Pikes Peak autonomously. We know which one we'd rather see in production.

Advertisement

Photo Credit: Graham Simon