In the face of domestic consumers who pursue "practicality" and "large space", many joint venture car companies are willing and willing to extend the wheelbase or lengthen the body of global models introduced to the Chinese market and become the L version of the "China Special" model.
In 2021, SAIC Audi's first domestic model, the A7L, was officially unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show, causing a lot of controversy. Some people say that this is the magic version of A6L, and some people say that the A7's beautiful charm has been lost. As the saying goes, a thousand people have a thousand Hamlets in their hearts. This time, I put aside all prejudices and comments, came to the beautiful Xiamen, and test-drove this controversial model alone , the SAIC Audi A7L.
Sport as always
The front part of the A7L basically continues the design style of overseas models, such as S-Line style sports surround, polygon grille and other designs are not absent, creating a good sports style. Our A7L test drive this time adopts the "flow crystal suit" design, compared to the more dynamic "obsidian suit", its middle net uses more chrome for decoration, ensuring the stability of medium and large cars. But to be honest, I still prefer the combination of "obsidian suit", after all, this is the attribute of the A7L and even the A7.
The A7L has a length, width and height of 5076/1908/1429mm and a wheelbase of 3026mm. In addition to being a little shorter than the A6L, the A7L is overall ahead in terms of three-dimensional dimensions, and it is also the longest of Audi's current domestic models in China. Although the body has been lengthened, the whole car still presents a slender posture and a rather low-lying shape, with a 20-inch large wheel hub, like a "wide-body coupe".
The rear of the car has not changed much. The slightly upturned "ducktail" is the basic configuration of the sports model, and the design of the through-type rear taillights is inherited from the new generation of A8, which is highly recognizable. It is a little pity that the layout of the hidden exhaust pipe adopted by the A7L is still too low-key, after all, hidden in the front cabin is a large heart of a 3.0T V6.
In addition, the iconic frameless doors on the A7 have also been retained, and the four pieces of glass on the doors are double-laminated, and the quietness of the car is excellent. The high-end models are also equipped with electric suction doors, which are quite rare in the same level of models, which shows that SAIC Audi is still sincere enough for domestic consumers.
Overall, SAIC Audi's A7L generally retains the design style of the overseas version of the A7. Although the body has been lengthened, it has not lost the sense of proportion and sportiness that it should have. Frameless doors and electric doors not only guarantee visual effects, but also take into account the convenience of daily use. This "L" seems to be a compromise on the Chinese market, but from a design point of view, it is a success.
A consistent interior
When you walk into the car, are you familiar? Yes, the SAIC Audi A7L uses the same interior design from the overseas version of the A7/A8, taking the route of minimalist technology. Audi's iconic digital cockpit is on full display in the A7L: the 12.3-inch full LCD instrument panel with 10.1-inch embedded central control screen and 8.6-inch air conditioning control screen, the display effect is delicate, the touch also has vibration feedback, and it is always of a high standard.
However, unlike the positioning of the A7, the A7L still takes into account more business and household attributes, and it can be clearly felt from the riding experience of its front and rear seats, and the more comfortable seats cannot be obtained from the sense of wrapping and tightness of the sports car. This feeling may discourage some young consumers from buying a car, but it will attract the favor of middle-aged consumers, which is also the target group of A7L. In terms of balance and trade-offs, SAIC Audi has done a great job.
In the second row after the extension, the space is too rich. If you want a more luxurious texture, you can choose to install the executive screen in the back row. However, the rear central platform, like other models from the MLB Evo platform, is still too high. My advice is to let two people sit comfortably in the back row.
What must also be praised is the sound insulation effect of the A7L. Thanks to the use of double laminated glass in both the front and rear rows, the A7L's NVH performs quite well, and the big car passes by and basically does not hear any sound.
A one-way drive
See the tail tag of the "55TFSI", you understand that this A7L is not simple. The 3.0TFSI V6 engine, with a maximum power of 250 kW and a peak torque of 500 N·m, is matched with a 7-speed S-tronic dual-clutch transmission and a 48V mild hybrid system. Audi's proud quadtro four-wheel drive system is not absent from the A7L.
Press the ignition button, you can understand how valuable the V6 engine is in this era of new energy everywhere. Low roar, smooth operation. Stepping on the throttle, the power delivery is fairly smooth, and there is basically no turbo lag, which is unmatched by those small-displacement four-cylinder engines. The power of daily driving can be maintained below 2000 rpm, and a little oil can obtain a good power output.
Another attraction to me was the 48V mixing system. Officially, this light hybrid system can provide up to 12kW of energy recovery when braking, which is used to accelerate and improve fuel economy and reduce turbine lag at start-up. When the speed is lower than 22km/h, the engine will stop working, and the 48V light mix system will carry out "taxiing with gear", and the start-stop effect of the actual experience is also quite excellent.
Seeing this, you might say, "The A6L also has a 55TFSI model, isn't that the A6LL?" "Don't worry. First of all, the A7L's normal sitting posture is much lower than the A6L, and the vision is more sporty; secondly, the A7L also has a DAWS rear wheel steering system, which is also the first time that this technology has been applied to Audi's domestic models. When the vehicle is steering, the rear wheels will form the opposite direction with the front wheels, which can greatly reduce the turning radius. At a speed of more than 60km/h, the rear wheels will turn in synergy with the front wheels, and the high-speed line changes are more stable and safe. This dexterity was completely unexpected to me, and it turned around completely unlike a medium-sized and large administrative sedan with a length of more than 5 meters.
In addition, the A7L's 3.0T model is also equipped with active suspension as standard, and the vehicle can automatically adjust the height of the suspension and the damping softness and hardness according to the current road conditions, so as to ensure ride comfort and filter out the large and small vibrations from the road surface. Although the power and appearance are moving, in terms of chassis and steering performance, the A7L is still at the top of the executive sedan of the same class.
However, for SAIC Audi, the 2.0T version may be the most popular model. Although the models of this road test drive are all 3.0T models, the organizers still very intimately arranged the site test drive of the 2.0T model for us. The 45TFSI's 2.0T engine has a maximum power of 180kW and a peak torque of 370N·m, and its power parameters are exactly the same as those of the 2.0T version of the overseas version of the A7.
Although it is a four-cylinder engine, after all, its liter power reaches 90kW/L, so daily driving is definitely not a problem. I also listened carefully to the sound of this 2.0T engine, its sound is more dense than the 2.0T engine from the A6L, and the output point is also more advanced, which is also in line with the A7L's sport orientation. However, due to the lack of active suspension and rear-wheel steering, the 2.0T model has a much lower flexibility and comfort than the 3.0T model.
Small Easter egg: SAIC Audi's first pure electric vehicle Q5 e-tron
At this event, we also lightly experienced SAIC Audi's first pure electric vehicle - Q5 e-tron. From a design point of view, the Q5 e-tron continues the design of the Audi Concept Shanghai concept car. The front face is still Audi's signature polygonal mouth, but the middle net is closed and the texture is quite outstanding. Matrix LED headlights are not absent, after all, "lamp factory" production.
The layout of the interior also continues Audi's family design, but compared to the Q5L, the design of the Q5 e-tron is obviously more concise and radical, how to say that it is a new energy vehicle that is at the forefront of the times. This real-time model is the edition one art creation collector's edition, so the steering wheel adopts a flat bottom design from top to bottom, and the visual effect is very colorful.
In the dynamic experience part, because the organizer has arranged many projects, I will briefly talk to you about its dynamic feelings. The Q5 e-tron, which is based on the MEB platform, can see a lot of ID.6 X shadows. The turning radius is small and the rear of the car is also flexible, which is the advantage of the MEB platform model. However, because there is no pile winding experience, we can't understand the suspension performance of the Q5 e-tron for the time being, so stay tuned.
Like other MEB platform models, the rear wheels of the Q5-tron are also designed with drum brakes. Although its braking performance has been verified in other models, it appears on a luxury brand pure electric medium and large SUV of more than 400,000 luxury brands, and consumers will still have a psychological gap.
The launch of the A7L is the result of the balance and trade-off made by SAIC Audi. Compared with the A6L, it has a lower sitting posture, a more sporty appearance and more flexible control; compared with the overseas version of the A7, it has more space and a more powerful powertrain.
You can't be preconceived and simply think that the A7L is the "special model" of the A7, because their target groups are completely different. The hatchback version of the A7 is aimed at young people who pursue individuality and sports, while the A7L seems to be more suitable for those family consumers who have successful careers and a happy life. The two groups seem to have no intersection, but they both share a common label: not blindly following the trend, not accepting grease.
Take off your tinted glasses! It's not a special edition A7, nor is it an A6LL. It is A7L, born to be the protagonist's A7L.