Audi has taken some flak for their cars, despite objectively looking quite modern and attractive, having visually not changed much over the last couple of generations. The German brand too, it would seem, is itching to wow the world once again with a new batch of cars rife with amazing design details.
If this Autocar report proves accurate, an all-new A7 will be the tip of their new design and aesthetic spear, pegged as Audi’s “most ambitious new model to date”. It will be part of an extensive revamp of all cars within their line-up that will see no less than 15 new all-new or facelifted models introduced by the end of 2018.
Not only will the design be cutting edge, apparently, but Audi promises a confection of impressive technology to go with them, an innovation-dense strategy that they’re confident will be able to rocket them to the top of the premium and luxury marque pile, laying the foundations for their plans over the next decade.
The broader motivation here, the report continues, is one orchestrated by Audi chairman Rupert Stadler to lead the brand through a new golden era in the wake of negative press and top-level officials leaving the Volkswagen Group in connection to the Dieselgate emissions scandal that broke in late 2015.
While an all-new A8 flagship saloon will demonstrate Audi’s technological chops when it arrives at the end of 2017, the next A7 is tasked with stoking the flames of desire from customers who would would otherwise have seriously considered an alternative from BMW or Mercedes-Benz. Failing that, Lexus or Infiniti.
The aesthetic established in the 2018 A7 (Sportback) will then, presumably, trickle in all directions to other models, though it’s likely that Audi is aware that it should avoid making their cars too similar to the point of losing their individual appeal - another criticism levelled against the Ingolstadt automaker’s portfolio of late.
Penned by Audi’s new head of design, Marc Lichte, the all-new A7 will allegedly share some cues first seen on the 2014 and 2015 Prologue concepts. A near-production version of the car is due to headline Audi’s presence at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show in September, with a launch window in early 2018 being entirely plausible.
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