Audi outs facelifted RS7

LESS than five months after the Audi RS7’s debut in Australia, a facelifted version of the car has been revealed, sporting new headlights, a more defined grille, upgraded infotainment and better fuel economy.

While the timing may seem odd on the surface, it does make sense. The Audi RS7 made its world premier at the Detroit motor show in January last year but it wasn’t until February 2014 that the car went on sale in Australia.

The facelifted RS7 is expected to arrive by the second quarter of 2015, just over a year after the launch of the current model. Prices are yet to be announced but the current RS7 retails for $238,500, plus on-road costs.

Then in in May this year the regular A7 received a facelift and now the RS7 has also received a freshen up to bring it in line with the current look. As well as changes to the exterior of the car, the cabin and the infotainment media system also get an upgrade.

Externally, the design of the hexagonal grille has been tweaked with the corners sharpened, while ‘quattro’ badging has also been added.

Flanking the grille are new air inlets and a redesigned bumper. New sleeker shaped LED headlights are now standard, while at the rear the tail-lights have also received a revision.

Inside the cabin, changes include a redesigned instrument cluster, new shifting paddles and airvent nozzles. Media and navigation technology has also improved thanks to the latest-generation modular infotainment platform with a more efficient graphics processor.

Drivetrains have been carried over unchanged from the current version of the RS7. Power from the 4.0-litre twin turbo V8 stays the same at a whopping 412kW, while torque is 700Nm and is sent to all four wheels through an eight-speed tiptronic transmission.

Like the outgoing RS7, the new one is able to sprint from 0-100km/h in a blistering 3.9 seconds. What does appear to have changed is the fuel economy which is down 0.3 litres per 100km to 9.5L/100km compared to the current version.

Sales of Audi’s A7 range are down by 15.9 per cent with 37 units sold in the first four months of 2014 compared to the 44 units shifted in the same period last year.

The Audi lags behind its German counterpart, Mercedes-Benz for sales in the large car over $70,000 segment, with the swoopy CLS-Class shifting 131 units to the end of April.