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The second generation Audi S7 Sportback packs a massive 700Nm punch from its 350PS TDI diesel engine. The car also features an eight-speed tiptronic transmission, quattro four wheel drive, adaptive damping and lots of the brand's performance technology into a practical but exclusively styled five-door coupe-style silhouette. On the used market, you might find it a rare and tempting proposition for the money being asked.
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Detailed ratings
Full-Sized Executive Cars
History
The original 4G8 Audi S7 Sportback model of 2012 proved that a faster version of the brand's swoopy A7 Sportback would sell in small numbers. So when the second generation 4K8-era A7 Sportback was launched in 2018, plans were put in place for another S7 model, which duly arrived in 2020. This time though, instead of the previous car's twin turbo petrol 4.0-litre V8 (reprised in much more potent form for the top RS 7 Sportback model), there was a 3.0 V6 diesel instead. There was a light facelift in 2023 which saw the S7 range through to the end of production in late 2023. There was no replacement.
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What you get
You'll buy this car because of what it says about its brand and because of what it says about you, with a look that's measured, efficient, sporting and quietly exclusive. The long bonnet, the long wheelbase and the short overhangs create perfect proportions, while the swooping roofline is reasonably successful in giving this five-door model the character of a coupe. Subtle, eye-catching details set this MK2 S7 apart from its humbler FK8-era A7 stablemates.
The wide, low Singleframe grille features lamellas in aluminium and a centre section in dark chrome matt. The air inlets are enlarged over those normally featuring on an A7, with very bold contours, and their honeycomb-structure inserts are finished in titanium black. The blade running through them is trimmed in gleaming aluminium, as are the exterior mirror housings. Features that distinguish this S7 from its S6 saloon counterpart include the funnels in the air inlets and the angular trim strips on the side sills.
The cabin is as well appointed as you'd expect from a range-topping A7 Sportback model, with beautiful monogrammed leather sports seats, and an S-specific graphic layout for the standard-fit Audi Virtual Cockpit instrument binnacle digital display which here features a central rev counter.
The back seat offers reasonable space for three adults, but much more comfortable room for two and you get a fold down centre armrest with storage and cup holders. Out back, in this five-door model there's a 535-litre boot, extendable to 1,390-litres.
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What to look for
Not too much goes wrong with a 4K8-era S7 Sportback. The 3.0 TDI diesel can also suffer from high oil consumption and with this unit, we've also heard of DPF clogging, EGR valve malfunctions, turbocharger failures and timing belt wear.
The most reported 4K8-era S7 faults relate to interior trim and non-engine electricals. We've had some reports of issues with wear to the side bolsters of the leather seats, as well as squeaking front brake pads, so it's worth looking out for both of those. There were a few issues with the car's infotainment system, with phones not connecting properly and flickering screens being the main problem. The DSG automatic gearbox should be checked to make sure it's had a regular oil and filter change, as should the quattro four-wheel-drive system.
Many S7 models will have been company or lease cars and, as a result, you should check the condition of the bodywork carefully. The high-quality fit and finish of an S7 also makes it an ideal candidate for clocking, so ensure the history is absolutely verified. If the S7 you're looking at has a panoramic glass roof and was an earlier 4K8-era model, be aware that on a few cars, this roof became unstuck from its frame.
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Replacement parts
(approx based on an S7 Sportback (2020) - Ex Vat) An air filter costs in the £84 bracket. An oil filter costs around £6. A fuel filter is around £27. Front brake pads sit in the £58 to £91 bracket for a set; for a rear set, it's around £25. Front brake discs sit in the £51 bracket; for a rear pair, you're looking at around £77-£186. A headlamp is in the £968-£1,170 bracket; and a wiper blade is in the £11-£19 bracket.
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On the road
The 3.0-litre V6 TDI engine used here with its electrically-powered compressor is basically the unit originally introduced in Audi's SQ7 large SUV, but was embellished here with a 48-volt electrical system, which took the powerplant's total power output to 350PS. All of those braked horses are transmitted via an eight-speed tiptronic automatic transmission to the car's quattro all-wheel-drive system.
The electrically powered compressor is the major reason for this S7 Sportback model's startling performance. 62mph from rest takes just 5.1s - which is virtually the same as was achieved by the far more powerful 4.0-litre petrol V8 of the previous generation model. And you get that performance here with far more pulling power thanks to dual supercharging that sees the electrically powered compressor working in tandem with the exhaust turbocharger and producing 700Nm of torque.
The standard-fit progressive steering comes with sports ratios in its basic configuration; the greater the steering lock, the more direct the steering is. There's also adaptive air suspension. And original buyers could add optional dynamic all-wheel steering which below 37mph, turns the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the fronts for a tighter turning circle. At over 37mph, the rears move slightly in the same direction as the fronts to aid stability. For even more dynamic road behaviour, the quattro 4WD system could from new be supplemented with an optional 'Sport differential' on the rear axle. This literally pushes the car into the bend, producing a high level of agility.
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Overall
This second generation S7 Sportback is a model meriting a measured approach, a sporting car rather than a sports car, its blend of talents making it a mainstream A7 with a bit extra in hand rather than a hard-riding RS-style Audi that's been tuned back a couple of notches. That in itself is no bad thing. You'll enjoy the S7 for its smooth ride, its effortless torquey TDI engine, the astonishing technology and its slick-shifting transmission. In other words, you'll enjoy it very much.
From this era, there are obviously more efficient fast executive five-doors and sharper ones to drive. But none that quite share this model's package of power, practicality and panache. And it's one of the breed of large executive Audi S model cars that have more about them than simply a big engine up-front, a contender that might even surprise you if in the past, you've limited your options with cars like this to brands like BMW and Porsche. Above all, it's a mature car, one that doesn't have to try too hard, a model that creeps in under the radar. Very desirable, very rare and very, very Audi.
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