2014 Audi A7 Sportback face-lift revealed

This is the face-lifted Audi A7 Sportback, which goes on sale in late 2014 with a range of updated engines, equipment upgrades and standard LED headlights.

A new 215bhp, 3.0-litre V6 A7 Ultra diesel is available with front-wheel drive, and promises fuel economy of up to 60.1mpg with CO2 emissions from 122g/km. This new entry-level car replaces our current pick of the range, the 201bhp 3.0 TDI.

Audi’s 3.0-litre diesel is also available with 268bhp (which replaces the current 242bhp model), and in Biturbo guise with 316bhp (which replaces the 309bhp model). The 4.0-litre petrol S7 Sportback model now has 444bhp (up from 414bhp) and comes with cylinder-on-demand engine technology as standard.

The 3.0 TDI Biturbo uses an eight-speed tiptronic automatic gearbox, while all other modes come with the seven-speed S tronic transmission.

Exterior styling has been tweaked with a new front bumper that houses the now-familiar hexagonal grille seen on the Audi A3 Saloon. The rear valance incorporates two flat, wide exhaust tailpipes, which replace the dual round tips on the current model.

Audi will give every new A7 model LED headlights as standard. Like in the A8 limo, these can be upgraded to the Matrix LED system, which includes ‘dynamic’ indicators that ‘sweep’ light in the direction that the car is turning.

Buyers will have more choice when kitting out the A7’s cabin, including new optional Valcona leather upholstery for SE trim, an upgraded MMI system with touchpad and an in-car wi-fi hotspot.

UK pricing for the face-lifted Audi A7 Sportback will be announced nearer the launch date, but we expect the new range to start from around £42,000.