#AudiA7Sportback

Certain Audi models can now stream music from popular online services.

Audi may be bringing a new A6 E-tron Sportback concept to the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2013, complete with all new shooting-brake styling. 

The Audi A7 Sportback is a pretty cool looking car, that has something in common with most of the Audi lineup; they all look even better with the S-Line bodykit.

With its official unveiling set for the Paris Auto Show this Fall, Audi has decided to unwrap its latest model, the A7 Sportback, well ahead of schedule. Designed to compete against the likes of the Porsche Panamera, Mercedes CLS and BMW 5 Series GT, this 5-door has 18.89 cubic feet of cargo room in the trunk, with a total of 49.09 cu.-ft. when the rear seats are folded flat. The rear hatch design is made even more unique by a rear spoiler that automatically deploys at speeds above 80 mph.

Audi has confirmed via a Twitter messgae to enthusiast blog SpeedSportLife that they will be bringing the A7 Sportback to North America by August 2011.

The A7, unvieled today in Munich, will be a four-seater coupe/hatchback/sedan designed to take on the Mercedes-Benz CLS and possibly the BMW 5-Series GT. A four-seater only, the A7 will be powered by a range of 6-cylinder engines, with direct-injection, stop-start technology and brake energy recuperation, which sounds suspiciously like a hybrid car for our tastes. Look for the familiar 3.0L TFSI supercharged V6 to be the sole engine for North America, as it is already certified here and Audi is unlikely to bring the lesser 2.8L V6. Diesels are a slim possibility, but unlikely. With the 7-speed S-tronic dual clutch gearbox, the A7 3.0TFSI can hit 60 mph in 5.6 seconds. The A7 is some 220 lbs lighter than the CLS350, allowing it to get away with forgoing a V8 gasoline engine. The A7 will also share the new quattro all-wheel-drive system that debuted in the RS5, featuring a decidedly rearward bias. Front-wheel drive and a CVT gearbox will be offered in Europe, but again, don’t expect them to show up in North America.

While the A7 Sportback does not share a platform with the A8, the car is designed to slot in just below it, with its swoopy styling acting as a contrast to the more staid, discreet A8. It’s not hard to imagine the A8 as a car that European government ministers (and low key wealthy folks in the Americas) would be driven in, while the A7 is for people who still have a performance itch that needs to be scratched.

Pricing hasn’t been announced for North America but “more than an A6, less than an A8” is likely a safe bet. An S7 and RS7 pair of performance variants were also announced, likely taking aim at the Porsche Panamera, Aston Martin Rapide and Maserati Quattroporte.

[Source: Twitter, Audi]

Gallery: Audi A7 Sportback

Later today Audi will officially unwrap the A7 Sportback, but that hasn’t stopped a few pics of the car from showing up on the interwebs. Looking significantly like the Sportback concept that debuted at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, (plus some design tweaks from the new 2011 A8), the 5-door is designed to appeal to European audiences while also attract less traditional luxury buyers to the Audi brand on this side of the Atlantic.