IF Audi claims to have created the condensed car with its A1 hatchback then the new A7 is an explosion of style and technology.

The A7 is a super coupe aimed at the discerning driver who wants to cut a dash.

Priced from £43,755 to £49,860 the A7 Sportback features an array of sophisticated devices including a head-up display, automatic parking, a night vision camera and even Internet connections on the move.

Pitched against the Mercedes CLS and BMW 5 Series GT the A7 is a brand new model for Audi and sees the German car maker entering a niche market where style is all important.

It hits the streets on January 8 and becomes the 35th model in Audi's rapidly growing portfolio which saw the little A1 go on sale only a few days ago.

Both the A1 and the A7 are breaking new ground for the German brand which is now competing in all but the city car part of the market.

Unlike its direct competitors the A7 is a slithery shaped five-door luxury hatch aimed at the executive.

As with the Mercedes it's only a four seater but with ample room in the back for adults and enough luggage space to make it a perfect tourer.

Folding rear seats mean the boot extends from a roomy 535 litres to 1,390 which puts it on a par with a medium estate. Only the BMW, which is a five seater, beats it for overall capacity.

Initially, four engines will be available - two petrol and two diesel with all offering plenty of power.

In two-wheel drive form the three-litre diesel has low emissions of 139g/km and even the higher priced quattro all-wheel-drive versions slip under the 160g/km tax threshold for businesses.

However, in typical Audi fashion, the extra equipment available can push prices through the £60,000 mark with ease.

The night vision system, which uses a thermal imaging camera to highlight potential hazards in a screen fitted between the speedo and rev counter, costs £2,100 while the state of the art sat nav linked to Google Earth is another £1,500.

Both devices are highly effective and the Google system is a revelation. The display can be zoomed down to an elevation of 30 metres giving the driver a ‘real world' view of what is around the car.

Mapped roads and traffic warning icons appear as an overlay - and the view can be zoomed out to an orbital altitude of more than 1,000 miles, but that's just for a bit of fun.

The system uses a smart phone link to the Internet and also turns the whole car into a WiFi hotspot enabling laptops and the like to be hooked up to the net.

If your phone tariff includes data delivery then it's free to use but be wary of operation abroad where the signal will cost a fortune to receive from a UK SIM card.

With the Google function turned off the nav display returns to a convention full colour map only format but as ‘must have' devices go this alone sets the A7 in a class of its own.

From a driver's perspective the cockpit is immensely purposeful. With plenty of instrumentation, buttons, switches and displays all around there is a satisfying feeling of being in control of a mighty machine when you sit behind the wheel.

The three-litre 245PS diesel used in the top specification quattro models can average a claimed 47.1mpg while still delivering a 0 to 60 time of 6.3 seconds.

There is plenty of lightweight aluminium used in the A7's body and on the road the car is finely balanced - although the optional air suspension, in any of its three computerised modes, created a slight wallow when cornering.

Opt for a traditional suspension set up and the ride is much more composed producing some respectable sporty fun.

The petrol versions use either three-litre 300PS or 2.8-litre 204PS and come only as quattros.

If fuel economy and emissions are not a consideration then the three-litre is the quickest of the bunch a 5.6 seconds 0 to 60 but although Audi claims an average 34.4mpg is possible we managed only 27 to the gallon on our test drive.

Similarly the 47mpg claimed for the diesel was on the optimistic side with 38 achieved on a 125 drive.

Where the A7 really stamps its mark is with its looks. Like the CLS the Audi is stunningly beautiful and refined.

It is a brilliant and accomplished car in the true spirit of great Grand Tourers and with the exception of the £100,000 R8 supercar it has to be the most desirable of the current crop of Audis.

Better still, with only 3,000 a year expected to be sold in Britain the A7 is going to be a very exclusive piece of kit.