Audi India has announced via its official Facebook page that it will launch the new RS7 Sportback in India on January 6, 2014.
The new Audi RS7 is a high-performance version the A7 Sportback. Power comes from a 4.0-litre TFSI twin-turbo V8 engine good for 553bhp and 71.38kgm of torque mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. This motor is similar to the one used in the Audi S6 launched last year, as well as the Bentley Continental GT, but with more power and torque. And in case you're wondering why Audi is not launching the high-performance version of the A6 - the RS6 - that's because the current generation of that car is only available as a station wagon or estate, and not as a saloon.
The carmaker claims that the new Audi RS7 can do the 0-100kph sprint in 3.9 seconds and can go all the way to an electrically limited top speed of 250kph. As with all Audi RS models, the RS7 gets the company's Quattro four-wheel-drive system, and there are plenty of sporty exterior styling cues to differentiate it from the standard Audi A7. And if fuel economy is a concern for you in a car like this, the engine also features cylinder deactivation, whereby it shuts off four cylinders under low engine load for greater efficiency.
The new Audi RS7 will rival the likes of the BMW M5 and the Mercedes E63 AMG sedan in India, and we expect Audi to price the new RS7 at around Rs 1.3 crore (ex-showroom).