Sleek, sporty, and maybe even sexy. These are the kind of words the four ringed company wants customers to associate with its Audi A7 luxury car.

It’s the German marque’s coupe version of the A6 saloon and in the company pecking order the A7 sits below the uber-luxurious A8, but above the less opulent A6. The raison d’etre of the A7 is that it offers the practicalities of a five-door (including a hatchback boot) with the stylish lines of the a coupe.

Its biggest competition comes in the shapes of the Mercedes-Benz CLS and Porsche Panamera, both of which are five-door saloons. The Maserati Ghibli is also worthy of mention.

The A7 shares a lot of technology with the range-topping A8, so its safety systems, infotainment, and fancy lighting is up there with the best in class. LED headlights, autonomous emergency braking, and lane-departure warning are all standard. The options list, meanwhile, is bewilderingly long. Advanced laser technology, night vision, self-parking, Bang & Olufsen sound system, air suspension, rear-wheel steering…we could go on.

All of this modern technology is wrapped up in an equally luxurious and contemporary-feeling interior. Like the larger A8, the A7’s dashboard uses a blend of brushed metals, leather, piano black trim and a trio of screens controlling all of the car’s major functions.

The standard A7 Sportback has a choice of three different engines. There’s a petrol, a diesel and a plug-in hybrid. Trim levels are equally as simple. The range consists of Sport, S line and Black Edition. There’s also the S7 – a sporty model with a diesel 3.0-litre V6. The range-topping and bonkers quick Audi RS7 gets its own review.

Over the next five pages you’ll read all you need to know about the Audi A7, including how practical it is, if the interior is posh enough to warrant the price tag, what it’s like to drive, how much it costs to run, and how it compares with its rivals. Then in the verdict we’ll say whether you should pick one or not.