Quick Highlights:
- Audi confirms the A7 and S7 Sportbacks are not coming back in the 2026 model year.
- The indirect replacement is the new gas-powered A6 TFSI.
- In 2026, the 621-hp RS7 remains unchanged, including its V8 power.
- The reorganisation of Audi models follows the previous concept of A4-to-A5 reorganisation.
No more A7, no more S7 — Audi retires its most stylish four-door fastbacks. After more than a decade of adding a coupe-like flair to the sensible A6 sedan, the A7 and S7 Sportbacks will bow out after the 2025 model year in the U.S. The decision is part of a broader shakeup aimed at trimming overlapping nameplates and simplifying the lineup as Audi prepares for its next wave of sedans.
Audi’s not new to this kind of housecleaning. The brand recently said goodbye to the TT and R8, making way for a new electric halo coupe. It’s a clear signal that Ingolstadt is narrowing its focus and setting the stage for a leaner, electrified future.
For now, the good news for enthusiasts is that Audi isn’t pulling the plug on everything. The RS7, the wild, V8-powered flagship of the Sportback family, will live on for 2026 — giving buyers one last chance to savor a fastback that blends elegance with sheer firepower.
Why the A7 and S7 Are Disappearing
The A7 first arrived in 2010 as Audi’s answer to the Mercedes-Benz CLS, ushering in the sloping-roof, coupe-inspired sedan trend for Ingolstadt. It quickly became a design favorite, pairing A6 underpinnings with a hatchback-style cargo area. The S7 followed in 2012 with more power and sharper dynamics, while the RS7 landed a year later with outrageous V8 performance.
But sales have been sliding. In 2024, Audi moved just 1,574 units across the A7, S7, and RS7 combined in the U.S., and even 2025 hasn’t shown much recovery. With SUVs dominating demand, Audi has chosen to streamline its sedan lineup.
“An Audi spokesperson confirmed the decision, stating: ‘We will continue offering the RS6 and RS7 for the 2026 model year. The A7 and S7 are no longer available for the 2026 model year.’”
The replacement, at least in spirit, is the new A6 TFSI, which takes over as a fastback-like sedan. Audi had originally planned to badge this next-generation model as the new A7, but its odd/even naming strategy for gas and electric vehicles proved confusing. Instead, the A6 TFSI will arrive later this year, sold alongside the A6 e-tron Sportback on showroom floors.
The RS7 Stays (For Now)
The Audi RS7 is the lone survivor of the Sportback trio, and for good reason. Under that long hood sits a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 good for 621 horsepower (463 kW / 630 PS) and 627 lb-ft (850 Nm) of torque. Too profitable — and too much of a status symbol — for Audi to axe it just yet.
Numbers tell part of the story: 0–60 mph in 3.3 seconds, an eight-speed Tiptronic snapping through gears, and Quattro all-wheel drive putting it all down. But the spec sheet doesn’t show how the RS7 still feels like a muscle car that wandered into a tuxedo shop — refined on the outside, unruly underneath. At $133,995 (including destination), it sits comfortably in boardroom garages yet still humiliates supercars that cost twice as much.
What comes next is murkier. Audi has hinted that the future RS lineup will consolidate around the RS6 sedan and RS6 Avant, almost certainly with hybrid power. For now, though, the RS7 stands as the brand’s last V8-powered fastback — a car that reminds you of excess can still be elegant, at least until the plug-in era arrives.
Echoes of the A4/A5 Shakeup
The move by Audi to eliminate the A7 and S7 is not a new story. In the recent past, the brand has silently extinguished the traditional A4 sedan, instead transferring its badge and showroom position to A5 sedan last year. The concept was uncomplicated: fewer nameplates doing the same job. As EVs such as the A6 e-tron and the e-tron GT flooded the range, there was no longer any reason to sell two virtually identical gas sedans.
The upside is that Audi dealerships will be less crowded by 2026. The next time a customer is to choose between three cars that are virtually identical in profile and powertrain, the selection will be cleaner next time around, more of a watch collection than a draw of duplicate straps almost identical in quality.
What It Means for Audi Fans
For Audi loyalists, the loss of the A7 and S7 stings more than the sales charts suggest. These cars weren’t just alternatives to the A6 — they were the ones that gave Ingolstadt’s lineup a sense of flair, proving that a family hauler could double as driveway art. Their sloping rooflines and hatchback practicality helped set the template for the “four-door coupe” era, long before crossovers stole the spotlight.
But the market has spoken, and Audi is listening. With fewer buyers chasing sleek sedans and more pressure to push EVs, the brand is asking the new A6 TFSI to wear two hats: business sedan and design-forward Sportback. It’s a pragmatic move, though one that trims some of the romance out of the showroom.
For enthusiasts, the consolation prize is a good one. The RS7 isn’t just surviving — it’s still among the quickest, most charismatic V8-powered luxury cars on sale. If this really is the last lap for Audi’s big gas-fed fastback, at least it’s going out with the kind of thunder that fans won’t forget.
Source: AUDI
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Whether it’s a Tokyo concept car or a Detroit factory shift, I follow how tech, design, and policy shape the cars of tomorrow. My coverage blends global trends with what real people actually care about—affordable hybrids, third-row legroom, and whether that ‘cool new feature’ is actually useful. If it drives, I’m probably tracking it.
