• 4.0-litre turbo V8 with mild hybrid technology
• Servicing will be expensive, but in-line with the price
• No mpg or CO2 figures released yet

Audi is swimming against the tide of eco-downsizing by retaining its previous-generation 4.0-litre for the latest RS 7. But it’s far from untouched, having received a 48-volt mild hybrid system (MHEV) with Belt Alternator Starter (BAS) for its twin-turbo V8. You get up to 12kW of power recovered when you lift off the throttle, and that’s stored in a small battery pack for when extra power is needed or assistance is needed in town.

As we found on the road, this smooths out town driving (with stop/start up to 13mph) as well as eking out additional mpg when on the move. When driving, the RS7 can coast for up to 40 seconds below 100mph in Eco mode with the engine switched off, which does save fuel on longer runs.

There’s also a Cylinder On Demand (COD) system, which can deactivate cylinders 2, 3, 5 and 8 in higher gears by switching off fuelling and closing the valves – again to save fuel when maximum power isn’t demanded. As soon as the driver needs that power back, coasting and cylinder shut off will be deactivated. On the road, we never noticed it in action, emphasizing this car’s excellent refinement.