These are the first pictures of the soon to be launched Audi A7 Sportback, spotted on Indian soil being driven towards Pune on a test. Obviously Audi did not want anyone to notice it and hence the car had no model badge or logos on the wheels. The tailpipes suggest that it is a diesel version, probably a 3.0-litre V6. As soon as the Audi’s driver took notice of our company, he tried to lose us, a sure giveaway. 

The front end of the A7 has an aggressive stance with the single frame Audi family grill styling incorporated with striking LED Headlamps. The design overall resembles the flagship Audi A8 sedan but has a distinctive for door coupe styling. The interior is loaded with acres of leather, wood and brushed aluminum combo with a pop-up navigation system screen. The cockpit of A7 resembles the larger A8 but there are some styling differences to help make it unique.

The A7 Sportback is designed to fill a niche between the A6 and A8. It offers big-car interior packaging for four people, the practicality of a rear hatch, a sizeable boot and what Audi calls a ‘four-door coupé’ shape.

The Audi A7 is 4.97m long and 1.91m wide, which is 17cm shorter and 4cm narrower than the A8 saloon. This car does away without the A8’s aluminum space frame, but Audi has made extensive use of the metal in its body, including the doors, bonnet, hatch, front bulkhead and a cross member in the boot. In two-wheel-drive form the A7 has a kerb weight of 1695kg. That’s over 100kg lighter than the car’s most obvious rival, the Mercedes CLS350 CDI.

Audi will officially launch the A7 Sportback sometime in mid-2011.