2023 Audi A7 Sportback Interior and Cargo

You could examine the A7's interior with a magnifying glass and you wouldn't find a stitch of discounted material used. The German automaker makes a host of upholstery and inlay options available, though certain trims and upholstery choices go hand-in-hand. All trim levels get gray/brown fine-grain Natural Ash wood inlays. The Premium and Premium Plus get three standard leather upholstery options: Black with Rock Gray stitching and a black headliner, Okapi Brown with Steel Gray stitching and a black headliner, and Pearl Beige with Agate Gray stitching and a silver headliner. The Prestige gets exclusive access to Valcona/Milano leather in Sarder Brown with Rock Gray stitching and a black headliner, but this requires adding on the $2,750 Luxury Package, which also adds extended leather on the dash, armrests, and center console.

The A7 is the most practical of its rivals in terms of cargo space, offering 24.9 cubic feet behind the second row. This is significantly better than the Panamera's 17.6 cubes, and more than double the CLS 450's 11.9 cubic feet of trunk space. On the odd occasion that you need more space, the 40/20/40 rear seats can be folded to free up some extra room in the trunk.

It's a good thing that the hatchback-style trunk is cavernous, though, because in-cabin storage isn't the best. Four small cupholders can be found in the front and the rear and the door pockets are on the slim side. There are two storage compartments in the console, but one only allows enough space for a few credit cards. The glove compartment is a decent size, at least.

Regardless of trim level, the A7 comes loaded with luxury and convenience features. Premium models get a panoramic sunroof, a hands-free tailgate, keyless entry, push-button start, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, and three-zone climate control with its own 8.6-inch touchscreen. The list goes on with a powered tilting/telescopic steering wheel, heated 12-way power-adjustable front seats with lumbar support, leather upholstery, a power panoramic sunroof, and LED ambient interior lighting. Premium Plus models add leatherette trim on the dashboard, armrests, upper doors, and center console. The Prestige models add dual-pane acoustic side glass, four-zone climate control, soft-closing doors, ventilation for the front seats, heated rear seats, and multicolor ambient lighting

As for driver-assist tech, the Premium comes standard with lane-departure warning, forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, automatic high beams, front and rear parking sensors, cruise control, and a rearview camera. The Premium Plus welcomes Audi side assist, a top-view camera with a 360-degree view, adaptive cruise control with traffic-jam assist and turn assist, and an upgraded parking assistance. The Prestige adds a head-up display, remote park assist, and traffic-sign recognition.

The inside of higher trims in the A7 lineup resemble fully-equipped tech hubs, although even the base Premium trim gets the basics right. Dual touchscreens are beautifully integrated into the dash, and last year's seven-inch driver-information display and an 8.8-inch infotainment screen on the Premium have been replaced with the full-size 12.3-inch Audi Virtual Cockpit gauge cluster and the 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen this year to bring the Premium in line with the upper trims. The setup is installed with Bluetooth, navigation, full smartphone integration with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, HD Radio, SiriusXM, and Amazon Alexa compatibility. On the base model, ten speakers are factory-fitted, but this is upgraded to a 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system from the Premium Plus, which does a much better job of playing your favorite music.