2020 Audi RS7 Sportback Launched - Because Wagons Aren’t For Everyone

Wagon’s aren’t for everyone (but why not??), and thus Audi conceived of the A6/A7 dichotomy. Hence, we have the 2020 Audi RS7 Sportback to counter the RS6 Avant. What you lose in SUV-rivalling boot space, you gain in a coupe-like sloping roofline. Pick your poison.

Personally, the wagon has my vote, but you can’t deny how much 2020 Audi RS7 Sportback’s low-slung silhouette adds to its delicious posterior. The A7 was always meant to look better than the A6, sure, much like the CLS and E-Class from the Mercedes-Benz camp, but we reckon this duo from Ingolstadt are the best looking in their class.

With a starting price of RM988,544, the 2020 Audi RS7 Avant enters the Malaysian market at a slight premium over the new RS6, and is oddly making you trade more money for less practicality because, apart from their divergent approaches in roofline, both cars are identical. Don’t get me wrong, the RS7’s roof-hinged boot does offer a pretty vast 535-litres of load-lugging potential, but you definitely won’t be bringing your favourite dog(s) with you on road trips.

From the front, the RS7 is indistinguishable from the RS6, which means it looks downright tremendous. It even wears the same V-pattern 5-spoke wheels that measure 22-inches in diameter and fitted with 285/30 tyres - Pirellis as pictured.

Mechanically, you won’t find a single point of differentiation. If you’re already familiar with the C8 RS6, you’d figure this means a 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine, twin-turbocharged to 600hp and 800Nm, and you’d be entirely correct. The drivetrain also features a 48-volt mild-hybrid system that makes use of a 12kW electric generator that’s used in lieu of a conventional starter motor, giving the car some on-demand boost while improving fuel economy.

Drive is funnelled through an 8-speed automatic transmission before being split up by Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive system. The RS7’s coupe shape doesn’t help it at the scales, weighing in just 10kg lighter than the RS6, meaning it too is a heavy 2-tonne machine. That said, the bi-turbo V8 and AWD with locking centre differential can launch the RS7 to 100km/h from a standstill in just 3.6 seconds, top speed is limited to 280km/h - again, identical to the RS6.

The 2020 Audi RS7 does manage to shame the RS6 with carbon fibre exterior accents that its wagon counterpart misses out on. Inside, however, both cars are equipped equally with quad-zone climate control, Audi Sport electric seats that are heated and ventilated, aluminium trim flourishes, Valcona leather upholstery, and ambient lighting throughout.

A panoramic roof is optional, as is the Dynamic Package Plus, which unlocks the car’s true top speed of 305km/h. Fortunately, the RS Sports exhaust system and RS Sports suspension are both standard features for the Malaysian market.

Audi’s latest MMI infotainment system is equipped here, too, mated to the Virtual Cockpit digital instrument cluster with in-built navigation. Optional on the RS6 is the Bang & Olufsen premium audio system with 3D sound, but here on the RS7 there’s no box to tick.

Safety kit is another area where both cars mirror each other perfectly, featuring Audi Pre Sense for both the front and rear with emergency braking, Lane Change Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Park Assist, and a 360-degree camera system.