What is it?
 
Another new Audi, another micro-niche filled. Picture what the A5 Sportback did for the A4, but apply instead to the A6. The A7 Sportback gets its own unique exterior styling, incorporating a sloping hatchback rear and broad shoulders reminiscent of the A5 coupe.
 
Technical highlights?
 
Although it sits somewhere between A6 and A8 in price and range structure, underneath it is neither. Instead, you’re looking at the next A6 platform available with either front or four-wheel drive.
 
For now there’s a pair of 3-litre diesels and two petrol engines: a 2.8-litre and the model tested here, a supercharged 3-litre TFSI V6 driving all four wheels and producing 296bhp and 325lb ft of torque. It costs £49,860.
 
What’s it like to drive?
 
Smooth, quiet and responsive at low to middling revs, if a little harsh higher up the rev range, this motor works well with the fast changes and a long, top cruising ratio of the ‘box.
 
Sadly, set the drive select to ‘Auto’ (steering, dampers, gearbox and throttle are all grouped under this system in the MMI interface) and at slow speeds the A7 is low-effort but inert. In particular, the steering is overly light, with hardly any self-centring action (if you’ve set the system to 'comfort' it’s disconcertingly vague as the speeds rise too) but it does increase the weighting considerably to provide you some reassurance at speed and certainly precision. Still, there’s little reward from driving the A7 beyond decent traction out of corners, and the ride in S-line spec may well be overly harsh for British roads.
 
The flip side is that there’s no doubting the A7’s refinement or solidity, while the cabin borrows much from the A8 but has a much more driver-centric feel. Rear headroom is mildly compromised, and you only get two rear seat belts, but the extensive list of options – such as Google maps sat nav and an infra red driving camera – will delight tech-lovers.
 
How does it compare?
 
The big duel will commence when the new Mercedes CLS makes its debut at the Paris motor show later this month. Audi also cite the BMW 5-series GT as a rival, but you won’t be considering that on style grounds…
 
Anything else I need to know?
 
Don’t rule out the likelihood of S7 and RS7 models.