风之逐

Audi's answer
-A7 takes on 4-door coupe market

Audi is possible that its new A7 will set the standard for performance, elegance and quality in the fast-emerging luxury "four-door-coupe" market when it is launched in June 2010 as part of an ambitious new-moedl program aimed at garnering a 50 percent increase in company sales within the next seven years.

Planned to slot between the strong-selling A6 and the range-topping A8, it will face tough competition from Mercedes-Benz CLS, the BMW new 8 series (carrying cues from the well-received CS concept shown at the 2007 Shanghai auto show)and next years Jaguar XJ replacement. The A7 will be designed with an array of technology and what design boss Stefan Sielaff described as a new direction in design and interior materials.

A document obtained by Autoweek indicates that Audi is planning a hardtop A7 and a soft-top convertible. Though produce a four-door open-top will be an engineering challenge, insider say that Audi bosses would like it to be the first carmaker to offer modern-day four-door convertible.

Audi is also prepareing S7 and RS7 versions, the latter of which will get a version of the RS6's twin-turbocharged 5.2-liter V10 engine delivering 600hp to quattro all-wheel drive and a new torque-vectoring system.

At the other end of spectrum, Audi engineers are developing a hybrid-drive system for a low-emission version of A7. To be unveiled on the Audi Q5 next year, Audi's hybrid system uses lithium-ion batteries from Japanese specialist Sanyo and will run in combination with either a gasoline V6 or a diesel engine.

The A7 forms part of new-model program that Audi boss Rupert Stadler is banking on to achieve up to 1.5 million sales annually by 2015, up from 964,151 in 2007. The increase is planned to come not only from newer version of existing offerings but also from supplementary models. From 23 models today, Audi planns to expand 40.

Although the A7 is expected to account for only 40,000 sales per year, Audi sees its new upmarket model as an important image booster. "The segment for four-door coupes is growing, most significantly in North America. It's not something that can be ignored," says Stadler.

The Audi A7 is not Audi's first attempt at four-door coupe. Under a cloak of secrecy, its designer prepared a proposal for the A5 featuring a four-door lay-out earlier this decade, but that was ultimatedly ditched in favor of a more traditional two-door model. The lessons learned from that car have been put to good use, however.

Underpinning the upmarket Audi is a new platform that will form the basis of the next A6. Based around the MLP(modular long platform)unveiled on the A5 last year, it concentrates weight within the wheelbase for optimal weight distribution.

Unlike the seventh-generation A6, which will retain a conventionally sprung front and rear suspension, the A7 runs on air springs to match the ride characteristics of CLS. "it's an inherently sporty car, but we'ver also focused on comfort," says an Autoweek source.

Audi planned two direct-injection gasoline V6 engines for the A7: a 204-hp naturally aspirated 2.8-litre and a 300-hp supercharged 3.0-litre. Above them will be 394-hp turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 in the S7 and the aforementioned V10 powering the RS7. The S7 is due in November 2010, followed by the RS7 in June 2012. Gearbox options will include a standard six-speed manual, a seven-speed double-clutch unit and a new eight-speed automatic. All-wheel drive will be standard for U.S. models, using the quattro system boasting 40/60 split in combination with a new torque-vectoring system to appear in the S4 that is due in October.

Audi has put considerable effort into ensuring that the A7's cabin is a cut above the four-door coupe competition. Along with sporty new design language and high-quality materials, the Audi will receive a second-generation version of the MMI(Multi-meida Interface)controller in combination with a new speech-recognition system called a "real breakthrough" by development boss Michael Dick.

Despite the car's ample 16-foot length, Audi plans to offer the A7 exclusively with a four-seat layout.

"Customers seeking greater practicality already have the choice between the A6 and the larger A8, so we don't see it as a drawback," Dick said.

文字来源于美国Autoweek杂志，图片来源于worldcarfans.com,仅供参考.