Audi A7 Sportback 55 TFSIe: the plug-in hybrid, the best option

Audi is launching the A7 Sportback 55 TFSIe quattro, the plug-in hybrid version of its 5-door luxury coupé, with prices starting at 87,050 euros.

The offensive of Audi in the plug-in hybrid segment continues. Now it’s the turn of the A7 Sportback TFSIe 55 quattro, which joins the Audi Q5 TFSIe. And more TFSIe versions will follow shortly.

As is often the case with new PHEV plug-in hybrids, they end up being interesting purchase options… even if you don’t have anywhere to plug them in, for now. And this is so for several reasons.

Firstly, because you may have a socket closer than you think in the near future. Not to mention that you can always use, from time to time, one of the charging posts being installed in major cities.

Secondly, because you enjoy all the benefits of the DGT ZERO emissions label.

And thirdly, because by certifying very low emissions, the price of these versions is usually not much higher than the variants they derive from, as they benefit from a lower registration tax.

Power of 367 CV, electric-mode range of more than 40 km

This is exactly what happens with the A7 Sportback TFSIe quattro, which has a price for the Spanish market starting at 87,050 euros. And that is only 3,500 euros more than the Audi A7 55 TFSI quattro, despite all the additional technology it incorporates. Of course, it should also be noted that the combustion engine in this case changes from a V6 to a 4-cylinder.

Compared with the 55 TFSI, the plug-in hybrid offers almost all advantages. System power reaches 367 CV, with a maximum torque of 500 Nm. It matches the torque and exceeds the power of the A7 Sportback 55 TFSI with its 340 CV V6 engine. And it offers equivalent performance… with a certified combined consumption from 1.7 l/100 km, compared with 8.9 l/100 km for the non-hybrid version.

Clearly, if you don’t take advantage of its capacity to travel more than 40 km in electric mode, powered by a 105 kW synchronous electric motor and 350 Nm integrated into the S tronic gearbox, you won’t achieve such low consumption figures. But that possibility is there for when you can use it. The combustion engine here is the 2.0 TFSI, with 252 CV.

In electric mode, the A7 TFSIe can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds, almost like the 55 TFSI. And it allows you to drive without the combustion engine kicking in at speeds of up to 135 km/h.

Predictive operation and charging options

The A7 TFSIe’s lithium-ion battery has a capacity of 14.1 kWh and is located under the boot floor. Here is one of the points where the TFSIe loses out, as boot capacity must decrease, although Audi does not confirm by how much.

The quattro ultra all-wheel drive system is retained, with a mechanical connection between the front and rear axles, although the energy recovery system always works through the front axle.

Using traffic information, distance to destination, route profile and surroundings, the predictive efficiency assistant makes the most of the fuel and the energy stored in the battery. In the A7, it does this by managing the system so that the last leg of the route programmed in the navigation system can be completed in electric mode.

If, for example, we are approaching a city, the system itself can adopt a strategy that fully recharges the battery, so we can drive in the city with zero local emissions.

As for charging options, the A7 Sportback TFSIe comes as standard with a Mode 3 cable with Type 2 plug, allowing use of public charging stations at 7.2 kW. The Schuko-type cable for domestic charging at 2.3 kW is also standard. In the first case, charging the battery takes around 2.5 hours. At home, it can be done overnight, requiring around 7 hours.

Among its standard equipment for the Spanish market, the Audi A7 55 TFSIe quattro includes the S line exterior package and the black style package, as well as HD Matrix LED headlights, sports seats, four-zone climate control and 19-inch wheels with red-painted brake calipers.

Image gallery Audi A7 Sportback 55 TFSIe