What better way to visit Ras Al Khaimah's tallest mountain, than with Audi RS7? We take a trip up north to see how those twisty roads are dealt with this powerhouse of a car:
The latest iteration of Audi RS7 was introduced in 2013 Dubai Motor Show. Despite being a four door coupe it still looks sportier in my opinion than the Porsche Panamera GTS or even the Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG. The new generation RS7 comes with 20 inch alloys, signature Audi grille, LED lights front and rear, and yes a very sporty exhaust system.
The interior is very sporty, especially the bucket seats which are probably the best designed in segment. The sporty interior is also very comfortable with excellent high quality material used throughout the car and hardly any place where one could complain of poor quality or texture. This is also a much more comfortable RS7 with lumbar support and seat cooling included. Good job on the interior comfort and quality.
In terms of interior space, this is a bigger car compared to the Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG and it's a four door coupe so it's a proper 5 seater with enough space for two adults to sit comfortably. Having said that the sloping roofline will be a problem for passengers above 5,6 ft and will find rear leg room to be lesser than average. Visibility is very adequate from all corners.
The sporty interior is not confined just to looks, the technology and driver aids contribute in this area as well. So the drive modes can be adjusted not just in standard Sport, Comfort and Economy, there are personalization options for each of them. We saw this in a limited setting for Audi RS4 Avant, this one has even more options including variable suspension, engine, steering, etc. The infotainment system is signature Audi, very intuitive and classy. While standard RS7 gets the Audi premium sound system, our test car came with the more 'bling' Bang and Olufson sound system which was fantastic. To top it off, there is even a touchpad to enter radio stations and commands, in English and Arabic, something the S-Class recently introduced but has been in RS7 for a number of years!
The performance enhanced turbocharged 4.0 V8 engine generates 560 HP and 700 NM torque which is slighly lower than Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG, yet comfortably beats Porsche Panamera GTS (at a lower price too). Our 0-100 acceleration test showed 5.0 seconds on a hot afternoon. The throttle control is fully digital by the way (or drive by wire in technical lingo) and the transmission is classic Quattro permanent all-wheel drive. Not too shabby to say the least.
The Audi RS7 handles like a charm, especially on Sport Mode and the exhaust note is the best I've heard since the new Jaguar F-Type V6 Convertible. On Jebel Jais twistys it can comfortably take 40 km / h bends over 100 km / h without breaking a sweat. The road grip, steering feedback is one of the best I've experienced on real roads. It's truly a driver's car and a joy to drive.
This is one of our favorite cars to date. Handling is excellent, acceleration is fantastic and the interior is very sporty. While it does have space for 5, it really is a 4 seater and has enough comforts for a small family. With a price tag much lower than Porsche Panamera GTS and Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG, it offers superior value for money as well.
