Skip advert
Advertisement

Audi RS7 Sportback Performance review – performance and 0-60

With a boost to 621bhp, the RS7 Performance is in the ballpark of rivals like the M8 Gran Coupe

Evo rating
  • Agile, very fast, and more entertaining than you might expect
  • Its mass eventually makes itself felt; RS6 is just as engaging, but more useful

The RS7's engine is an absolute force of nature. There’s a bit more lag than the previous non-Performance model due to the bigger turbos, but you only really notice it in Efficiency and Comfort modes, where the programming for the eight-speed automatic gearbox is set very conservatively. Utilise the paddles and that problem disappears.

Advertisement - Article continues below

There’s so much torque and the delivery has a steely, pulverising energy as the revs increase. And yes, there’s more aural drama than before thanks to less sound deadening. It’s now somewhere between a rollicking AMG soundtrack and the subtler BMW M5’s, which feels like a great balance for a car of this type. It imbues the
RS7 with character even at everyday speeds.

Top speed is pegged at 174mph, although given how massively potent the RS7 feels, you get the sense it could smash through that and on to a much higher maximum with the limiter removed. Its 3.4sec 0-62mph is undeniably quick, but rivals such as the Porsche Panamera Turbo S are even more accelerative on paper. 

None of that seems to matter in reality, though, given that the RS7 feels nigh-on omnipotent when fully extended. We certainly aren't left wanting for more power. 

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

The new Toyota GR Yaris costs £44,250 – too much for a hot supermini?
Toyota GR Yaris Gen 2 – front
News

The new Toyota GR Yaris costs £44,250 – too much for a hot supermini?

Our early impressions of the Gen 2 GR Yaris suggest that it’s an improvement in every area that counts, but can it be worth £18k more than an i20 N?
27 Mar 2024
The new Mercedes-AMG G63 has arrived, and it still has a V8
Mercedes-AMG G63
News

The new Mercedes-AMG G63 has arrived, and it still has a V8

Some of Affalterbach’s range-toppers are swapping eight cylinders for four, but the AMG G-class retains its V8 for 2024
26 Mar 2024
Land Rover Defender OCTA: twin-turbo V8 and McLaren-style suspension tech for hot off-roader
Land Rover Defender OCTA – front
News

Land Rover Defender OCTA: twin-turbo V8 and McLaren-style suspension tech for hot off-roader

The OCTA promises to be the fastest, toughest and most capable Defender yet when it launches later this year
26 Mar 2024