STUD or DUD? Did Audi Sonatatize The All-new A7 Sportback?

STUD or DUD? Did Audi Sonatatize The All-new A7 Sportback?
To be straightforward, we had high hopes for the all-new Audi A7. We were expecting it to feature a slightly more aggressive design that would remove some of the first-generation A7's frumpiness. 

Turns out we may have been wrong.

Full New Audi A7 Sportback Photo Gallery

That's because when the A7 came out from hiding, it appeared to look, well, a bit pedestrian. Could it be that we've gotten so used to the greenhouse of the A7 that we're just not as entertained? Could it be something else?

It seemed to have caught Agent 001's eye when he was evaluating Audi's latest sedan. It actually bears a bit of resemblance to something you wouldn't expect. That would be the Hyundai Sonata. The roofline from the side profile is nearly bang on. 

And while the first-gen vehicle had a bit of panache to it, the second-gen A7 just seems...flat. Overall, the design is very middle of the road. 

Having said that, we've got to ask: Did Audi Sonatatize the all-new A7 Sportback? Is it a bit too staid and safe?


Full New Audi A7 Sportback Photo Gallery
















































































































bw5011bw5011 - 10/20/2017 5:19:48 AM
-1 Boost
This car is beautiful. I was expecting to feel this way about the new A5, but even though it has grown on me, the A7 was instant. I think they are moving in the right direction to keep setting records. Can't wait to drive it.


Dexter1Dexter1 - 10/20/2017 7:01:39 AM
+14 Boost
Funny that the Sonata/Hyundai pirated the Audi grille a few years back. Now we are asking ourselves if Audi "Sonataized" the A7.


jameswisrikjameswisrik - 10/20/2017 7:42:38 AM
-1 Boost
ha.....looks like they copied the 2018 Honda Accord! Audi is a POS! it's in their DNA to build crappy machines!


MDarringerMDarringer - 10/20/2017 8:08:49 AM
-5 Boost
It's OK looking but sooooo generic looking. Throw a Ford emblem on it and it's a Fusion. Throw a Hyundai emblem on it and it's a Sonata. Throw a Honda emblem on it and it's an Accord. It simply is not special.


Agent001Agent001 - 10/20/2017 7:13:24 PM
0 Boost
The Fusion ripped off the Aston face not Audi.

001


MDarringerMDarringer - 10/20/2017 10:34:39 PM
-1 Boost
All of you missed the damned point.


vdivvdiv - 10/20/2017 9:02:53 AM
+1 Boost
Think we should see the car in person and drive it before making judgments and condemning it. Even with the incredible progress Hyundai has made and the perennial qualities of Honda, Audi is in a different class.

That said the styling does not speak to me either.


PUGPROUDPUGPROUD - 10/20/2017 9:08:06 AM
+2 Boost
There are so many things I admire about Audi (build quality, interiors, design items like wheels and lights, colors, etc) and understand why many many people buy them but I cannot for some reason get myself to do so. Don't know what it is...just me I guess.


vdivvdiv - 10/20/2017 9:22:39 AM
-1 Boost
They are a bit sterile, not unlike Lexus. So what do you drive instead?


TruthyTruthy - 10/20/2017 10:24:32 AM
+4 Boost
It is very difficult to judge a design from a 2D photo. To get a real sense of the design you have to see it up close and no one here has done so. The surface tension, details etc. cannot be seen in a photograph. The Sonata is slab sided, the Audi is not. The interior is outstanding.


vdivvdiv - 10/20/2017 11:33:13 AM
-2 Boost
Yeah, but that taillight unibrow and the crazy busy interior are really a put-off.


llaroollaroo - 10/21/2017 7:21:20 PM
+1 Boost
up close and personal is where you judge most Audis. It's all about the intimacy with these cars inside and out. They are form and function all the way


MDarringerMDarringer - 10/21/2017 9:03:11 PM
0 Boost
Intimacy? How in hell is that possible given how sterile, detached, and nihilistic Audi's design ethic seems to be? Up close and personal, Audis cannot hold a candle to a comparable Mercedes. Park an A8 next to an S Class and the Audi will come off looking and feeling as dull as an Azera.


GermanNutGermanNut - 10/20/2017 10:44:57 AM
-3 Boost
Complete stud. The new A7 combines Audi's new high-tech interiors with a sleek and sporty exterior. People on Autospies always criticize Audi's designs but I let the sales results speak for themselves. While BMW will experience a second straight year of falling U.S. sales, Audi will likely see its 7th consecutive year of year-over-year monthly sales increases in the U.S. and its global growth rate has surpassed BMW's for each of the last 3 months.


vdivvdiv - 10/20/2017 11:30:59 AM
-3 Boost
Dunno, the rear seats are kind of pointless on the current one so why not get a TT instead? Much better looking IMHO.


GermanNutGermanNut - 10/20/2017 12:24:59 PM
+1 Boost
Two different cars. A TT buyer is looking for a small sport coupe, while the A7 buyer is looking for a highly-styled sedan.


TruthyTruthy - 10/20/2017 3:39:10 PM
+3 Boost
vdiv, I ridden in the back of an S7, there is a lot of room for adults, on a par with the A6. What kind of nonsense are you saying they are pointless?


garysandiegogarysandiego - 10/20/2017 5:06:12 PM
+5 Boost
I like it. Although I have not owned an Audi in two decades, I really do not understand the Audi-sniping on Autospies. The design of the new A7 is definitely Audi, but it is more angular and geometric than previous models. A significant step it seems to me. And the interior is a real departure but looks sporty and swanky at the same time. The criticisms seem like reaching to me.


cidflekkencidflekken - 10/21/2017 12:10:47 AM
+1 Boost
"Crosstourized" is more like it.


CarCrazedinCaliCarCrazedinCali - 10/21/2017 12:43:35 PM
+2 Boost
Another hit from Audi.


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