Audi A7 Sportback 50 TDI 2018 UK first drive

The idea of a five-door coupe is a bit of an odd one, if only because by definition it seems to be a touch oxymoronic. Say the word “coupe”, after all, and the image you’ll likely conjure is one of a car with just two doors.

However, since the original Mercedes-Benz CLS rocked up on the scene back in 2004, the practice of taking a regular saloon, giving it a swooping roofline and labelling it a coupe has caught on in a big way. So much so that there’s now such a thing as an SUV coupe. Who’d have thought?

This latest four-door coupe you see before you is the second-generation Audi A7 Sportback, which has been totally redesigned from the ground up to take on the new version of the CLS. We’ve already tried this particular model - the 50 TDI quattro - out in South Africa, but now we’re putting it to the test back on British roads for the first time.

For those of you who maybe haven’t quite fathomed out Audi’s perplexing new naming structure (this tester is one such person), “50 TDI” means this A7 is powered by a 3.0-litre V6 diesel that sends its 282bhp and 457lb ft of torque to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. There’s also a 335bhp V6 petrol - badged 55 TFSI - available from launch, although the oil-burner is expected to account for the lion’s share of UK sales.

Similar to the new CLS, mild-hybrid technology has made its way into the latest A7. This comprises of a 48-volt primary electrical system that can allow the Audi’s V6 to shut down when coasting between 34 and 99mph, using a belt alternator starter to restart the engine when you touch the throttle. Coupled with improved stop/start technology that uses the front cameras to detect when the car ahead of you moves away, fuel consumption is said to be improved by 0.7 litres per 100 kilometres - an additional 62 miles in old money.

On the road, the technology works rather well. Haptic feedback from the throttle lets you know the time is right to lift your foot off the pedal, with the engine cutting out a split second afterwards. Were you not looking keenly at the rev-counter on the 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit LCD screen - which is standard fit across the A7 range - you’d likely not notice the fact the engine cut out in the first place. The Belt Alternator Starter that restarts the engine is similarly unintrusive.

Unfortunately, the same can’t be said of the manner in which our Sport specification test car’s optional sport suspension controlled the car’s ride. At low speed, the A7 feels jittery, with the firm set-up sending a tiresome amount of vibration to your backside. This was mitigated slightly at speed, although undulations do cause the suspension to compress in a jarring manner.