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The long, low four-door Audi A7 has been spied testing in Germany ahead of its launch in 2010.

The Audi A7 will slot into the range below the A8 and above the A6, providing Audi with a rival for the Mercedes-Benz CLS.

Our spy pictures show the A7’s size and sleek styling, especially around the rear, where the car has a high rear deck and a low, steeply raked rear roof line. The coupé-style lines help to disguise the car’s bulk; it’s 4.8m long.

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I know the spy shot are disguised but I am not sure this is going to be a saloon, as shown in the CGi pictures.  Certainly the shape would suit a hatch better.

With the Panamera going hatchback, is it possible the A7 will as well?

It's difficult to tell from the disguised pics. It looks similar to the BMW 6 Series.

But, as I said, hard to tell.

Hope it's a big hatch, I rue the day I sold my Saab 9000......so useful.

48k for an entry model??  Might make sense when 5-6 years old - at least to me.

Just what the world needs... another ridiculously proportioned, over powered German executive / luxury car.  Hopefully the big 3 German executive/luxury car manufacturers will shortly run out of niches and gimmicks to exploit and just return to building competent, well engineered, quality cars again and stop messing around on everyone elses turf.

It turns out that the Germans are now seemingly admitting that Renault & Citroen have been on the right track since the early 70's, even after the market for the big German executive saloon ended the life of the Saab 9000 hatch, scuppered the chances of the Renault 25 & earlier models, crippled the Citroen XM, continues to suppress the success of the Citroen C6 and blatantly killed off the, Vel Satis and Avantime.

First Opel produced the ridiculous Signum and then Skoda (under VW) wheels out a Hatch/Sedan hybrid thing... suddenly large hatches are all the rage.

The Germans have now "invented" the desirable, versatile, executive hatchback have they?  Perhaps MB would like to claim responsibility having been the first with the hideous R-Class or the stupid B-Class?  Or maybe its BMW having introduced the otherworldy and frankly preposterous looking X6?  Porsche's Panamera?  If rumours are to be believed this is all the rage among this lot now.  BMW are building a hatchback 5 Series, Mercedes are likely to do likewise with the E Class in some guise and Audi are building a hatch A7 which will no doubt have frameless windows and be called a "Coupe".

What a steaming pile of ****.  I hope Renault & Citroen are feeling vindicated.  "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," ... afterall.

Autocar:

The Audi A7 will slot into the range below the A8 and above the A6

Ohhh!  I see!!!  I was having such trouble wondering where on Earth such a named car would be placed in the model line-up.

Thanks for the clarification.  Now eagerly await the "What is the point off..." thread.

 

Autocar writers; are they paid by word count?

Dear God, does the world really need this??

 

macaroni:

Dear God, does the world really need this??

not rly no!!

but it another niche to fill and try and make some money from. As these 4x4 drivers cant be seen to be going backwards after all. I have the feeling this sort of product A7, BMW PAS may be bought by those who would have bought a rangie or an X5 but downt want the stigma attatched to such products in the current climate!

 

 I hope this car does end up looking like the 2 computer images, I think it looks great!

Well I'm waiting for the A11- maybe that  will have 5 seats?

pdmc:

The Germans have now "invented" the desirable, versatile, executive hatchback have they?  Perhaps MB would like to claim responsibility having been the first with the hideous R-Class or the stupid B-Class?  Or maybe its BMW having introduced the otherworldy and frankly preposterous looking X6?  Porsche's Panamera?

To be fair, Audi have tried the big executive hatchback before in the 70s. The original Audi 100 'Avant' was a 5 door 5 seater hatchback version of the 100 saloon, similar in concept to the Renault 20/30 and Citroen CX. It was only when Audi lauched the aerodynamic 'Vorsprung durch Technik' 100 of the early 80s that the Avant became an estate.

Having said all that, I'd be surprised if the A7 turns out to be a hatchback. I remember spyshots of Volkwagen Phaeton prototypes being hatchbacks but the production car is a conventional saloon.