A RAKISH grand tourer has been unveiled by Audi pitting the company head to head with German rivals BMW and Mercedes.
The A7 Sportback will be on sale early next year priced from £43,745 to compete against the Mercedes CLS and BMW 5 GT.
Slightly larger than the A6 saloon, the newcomer is a five door coupe built on a new Audi platform which features a revised suspension designed to improve ride quality.
Initially the A7 will be available with a choice of two petrol and two diesel engines, the most efficient of which - a three-litre diesel - has 0-62mph acceleration of 8.1 seconds, a top speed 145mph, average fuel consumption of 53.3mpg and CO2 emissions of 139g/km.
Standard equipment includes xenon headlamps, LED tail lamps, a powered tailgate, leather upholstery, electric seat adjustment and heating, cruise and parking controls, satellite navigation and a communications suite which features DAB digital radio and Bluetooth phone link.
The price includes next January's increase in VAT to 20 per cent.
All models will be fitted with stop/start engines to improve fuel economy while options will include a head up display for the driver - the first time Audi has used such technology.
Other high tech extras include a 3D Google Earth map display for the navigation system as well as wireless Internet connectivity enabling passengers to go online while on the move.
Front wheel drive models will have a CVT gearbox while quattro versions will use a seven speed twin-clutch transmission mated to an uprated differential first seen on Audi's RS 5 performance models.
An optional sport differential will also be available.
Although a five door, the A7 Sportback is purely a four seater while maximum luggage capacity is 1,390 litres.
Other options include night vision cameras, automated parallel parking, all-LED headlights and adaptive air suspension.
The A7 Sportback is the 35 model derivative in the current Audi line up.