Audi is putting the final touches on the new 2020
RS7 Sportback, with the test cars now going through some cold-weather testing
near the Arctic Circle. The test car still wears a set of contemporary black
alloy wheels that reveal a set of massive brakes. The body also features
slightly wider fenders to house the bigger wheels, as well as deeper side sills
and new front and rear fascias. The biggest telltale remains of course the dual
oval exhaust tailpipes.
We still can’t tell for sure which powertrain Audi
is going to employ in the 2020 RS7; the German carmaker will most likely use
the same twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 that’s also found in models like the Porsche
Panamera Turbo and Lamborghini Urus, with the power output to be set at over
600 hp. If that’s the case, then an eight-speed automatic trasmission will be
tasked with sending the colossal power to all four wheels to the upgraded
Quattro all-wheel drive system.
The most powerful version of the previous RS7 was
the Performance version that offered 597 hp out of its twin-turbo
4.0-liter V8. Some rumors talk about the new Audi RS7 using the plug-in hybrid
powertrain from the Panamera Turbo S, which in the Porsche’s case makes 670 hp.
If we had to pick which of the two powertrain options is the most likely to
happen, we would go for the non-hybrid 4.0-liter V8 one, at least for the early
models.
Expect the new Audi RS7 to offer a 0-100 km/h in around 3.5 seconds once it arrives in the market in late 2019, reigniting
the war with the Mercedes-AMG E63S and the BMW M5. The interior of the new Audi RS7
will be spiced up with Audi Sport’s usual treatment, meaning body-hugging
seats, carbon-fiber trim, metal detailing and a combination of leather and
alcantara complimenting a screen-infested interior that’s already been praised
for its ambience.
