WE LIKE Intelligent interior, wireless CarPlay WE DON'T LIKE Too-soft suspension, not enough differentiation from A6 This is Audi s second crack at the A7, the sporty counterpart to the executive A6 sedan. It looks and moves like a killer whale, Ed Loh said. Sleek, swift, and silent. This midsize luxury hatchback also moves to a new platform and gains the new 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 with a 48-volt mild-hybrid systemwhich some judges felt made it overeager to leap forward from a stop. Judges largely liked the sportier look, but some found the grille to be too fussy. Like the A6, the A7s interior is exceedingly quiet and features a mix of wood, leather, Alcantara, and a cool fabric headlinera benchmark in terms of design and control of grain, gloss, and color, Tom Gale said. Screens are well integrated with crisp graphics. On the road, the A7 is quick with little drama. With the addition of four-wheel steering, the ride is more dynamic than that of the A6. It easily swept from corner to corner and gains an impressive turn radius. But Christian Seabaugh felt it drove more like a soft GT than a sporty fastback: It errs more toward softness than sportiness and feels like a bit of a bait and switch. Fuel economy is exceptionalour Real MPG team measured 23.2/34.9 mpg city/highway. The hatch offers cargo versatility, and reclining rear seats allow for some headroom beneath the fastback roofline. But Chris Walton noticed a low-frequency booming over impacts in the A7 that was absent in the A6. Despite all the semantic arguments, the four-door coupe is a thing, and the A7 is one of the best of the breed, Angus MacKenzie said. A class act. READ ABOUT 2019CAR OF THE YEAR CONTENDERS: Buick Regal Ford Mustang Ford Transit Connect Hyundai Accent Hyundai Elantra Honda Clarity Kia Forte Lexus ES Lexus LS Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class Nissan Altima Toyota Avalon Toyota Corolla Hatchback Volkswagen Jetta READ ABOUT 2019 SUV OF THE YEAR CONTENDERS: BMW X2 BMW X3 BMW X4 Cadillac XT4 Ford EcoSport Ford Edge Hyundai Santa Fe Infiniti QX50 Jaguar E-Pace Jeep Cherokee Lexus RX L Mercedes-Benz G-Class Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Nissan Kicks Subaru Ascent 2019 Audi A7 3.0T Quattro Base Price/As tested $68,995/$84,645 Power (SAE net) 335 hp @ 5,000 rpm Torque (SAE net) 369 lb-ft @ 1,370 rpm Accel, 0-60 mph 4.9 sec Quarter-mile 13.5 sec @ 102.7 mph Braking, 60-0 mph 116 ft Lateral Acceleration 0.86 g (avg) MT Figure Eight 26.0 sec @ 0.69 g (avg) EPA City/Hwy/Comb Not yet rated VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan ENGINE/TRANSMISSION 3.0L turbo DOHC 24-valve V-6 /7-speed twin-clutch auto CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 4,404 lb (54/46%) WHEELBASE 115.2 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 195.6 x 75.1 x 56.0 in ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY Not yet rated CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB Not yet rated The post Audi A7: 2019 Motor Trend Car of the Year Finalist appeared first on Motor Trend .