2012 Audi A7 3.0 TFSI

2012 Audi A7 3.0 TFSI

2012 Audi A7 3.0 TFSI

2012 Audi A7 3.0 TFSI

2012 Audi A7 3.0 TFSI, the subject of this week’s column, would have been considered a crazy idea. Sensible executives would have stamped it an undoable business proposition. Many consumers, more interested in performance and prestige than common sense, would have looked askance at the more pedestrian aspects of its design intent. In a global sales environment unburdened by green environmental concerns, the timing was all wrong for a car of its type.

A7, that means more power out of a smaller engine with no appreciable increase in fuel consumption. Think of it as getting V-8 horsepower out of a V-6 engine without the weight or the fuel penalty of a V-8. The reality in the A7 is a 3-liter, supercharged V-6 with direct injection and variable valve timing (310 horsepower, 325 foot-pounds of torque) that moves the car from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 5.4 seconds.

Inside is all of the stuff that traditionally defines automotive luxury as luxury — in this case, dark walnut inlays on the instrument and door panels; supple, yet anatomically contoured Valcona leather seating surfaces; every conceivable electronic infotainment device or access portal. It is all put together perfectly in a cabin so quiet, it bestows solitude upon entry.

But if life takes a turn toward the sweaty practical, the A7 (I drove the Prestige version for this report) can handle that, too. Lift the rear hatch. With all four sets in place, you have 24.5 cubic feet of storage space. Lower the rear seat backs, and you nearly double your cargo room. Finally, there is the matter of the A7’s all-wheel-drive system, which provides a 40-60, front-rear power split under normal driving conditions but constantly and rapidly varies that application of drive power on an as-needed basis in inclement weather.