Bitauto Original I suddenly saw a piece of news on the Internet two days ago that SAIC Audi A7L will be discontinued. The reasons for the discontinuation are twofold, one is to digest the existing inventory and the other is because of poor sales. Although the news of the discontinuation of production has not been officially confirmed, the bleak sales of A7L are indeed an indisputable fact. The sales volume of A7L in 2022 is only 3801 units. However, the ET7 of NIO, a new domestic car company that will only begin delivery in March 2022, has a full range of sales. A good result of 23,046 vehicles per year. So is this A7L really lagging behind in terms of overall strength? Today we will compare it with the new domestic luxury mid-to-large sedan NIO ET7 to see how strong the A7L is.
Although the sales of these two models are very different, they are still very similar in price range. The specific comparison models we selected today are the 2022 SAIC Audi A7L 55 TFSI quattro S-line Zhiyuan liquid crystal package priced at 599,700 yuan. As for the Weilai ET7, we chose the one priced at 536,000 yuan. 2022 100kWh first edition. Since these two models use different drive modes, the gap between them is still very huge. Next, let’s start with the appearance to find out.
Appearance comparison
The front face of the SAIC Audi A7L basically continues the shape of the imported version, but the air intake grille uses a crisscross style, which looks more sporty than the horizontal air intake grilles of the Audi A7 and Audi A6L Some also shape personality recognition. All A7L series are equipped with high-definition matrix LED headlights with dynamic turn signals as standard. The light cavity is composed of 32 LEDs to form a lighting module. By turning on or off some LED modules, sufficient lighting can be achieved under different road conditions, while also avoiding Cause light interference to other vehicles.
As Weilai’s flagship sedan, ET7 has received a lot of attention since its debut. In terms of appearance, NIO ET7 adopts NIO's family-like design style. The closed grille shape is matched with slender headlights, which looks very simple and sporty. The front face and coupe-style body make it highly recognizable.
On the side of the car body,Audi A7L adopts a staggered segmented waistline design. The undulations of the body shape are integrated into the changes of light and shadow. The high and low waistlines are combined with three-dimensional sharp Surrounded by side skirts, it highlights a sharp and dynamic style. There are also S-line side markings on the front doors on both sides of the body, and the large-size wheels also add a lot of sportiness to the vehicle. As for the side of Weilai ET7, it adopts a slip-back style.The design looks very dynamic, and the coupe-style design concept takes into account sports, fashion and space requirements. The smooth lines on the side of the car body are organically integrated with the sensors, and the drag coefficient is as low as 0.208Cd. As for the body size, the NIO ET7 has completely surpassed the SAIC Audi A7L. The body size of the A7L is 5076/1908/1429mm and the wheelbase is 3026mm. The body size of NIO ET7 is 5101/1987/1509mm, and the wheelbase reaches 3060mm. Although the NIO ET7 has an advantage in terms of body size, I don’t think there is much need to worry about the A7L in terms of interior space. Both models should have ample interior space.
The design of the rear of the car is simple but not simple, and the most charming thing is undoubtedly the through-type taillight of A7L. And because the domestically produced A7L has lengthened its body size, the vehicle has become a standard sedan, and the hatchback tailgate has been cancelled. This still affects the appearance of the vehicle to some extent, but you only regard it as a sedan. If you look at it as a sedan, I think it's quite attractive. As for the tail design of NIO ET7, the upturned duck tail and through-type taillight design are now popular design elements. In addition, the official said that the car will be available in two appearance package themes, whose theme names are bright chrome stylish modern and matte gray chrome sporty passion. Moreover, both models adopt a frameless door design, which invisibly provides a certain sporty atmosphere to the vehicle.
Interior comparison
In the interior, A7L adopts Audi's family-style three-screen design, which not only greatly improves the quality of the interior, but also highlights the strong technological atmosphere. And the interior is also very kind in terms of workmanship and materials. Three large screens standard on the entire series form an enhanced virtual cockpit, namely a 12.3-inch full LCD instrument panel, a 10.1-inch central control touch screen and an 8.6-inch air conditioning panel. The 12.3-inch full LCD instrument panel has a clear display and can switch to multiple display modes. In addition, the A7L is also equipped with a HUD head-up display function. Although it is not as rich in information as the instrument panel, it can also help prompt navigation and other content. The upper and lower screens of the central control are 10.1 inches and 8.6 inches respectively. These two screens also form the third-generation MMI system. The upper screen is mainly used to control in-car functions, while the lower screen is used to control the air conditioner. And although it is a touch screen, when you operate the screen buttons, there will be strong feedback to tell you that you have indeed pressed the virtual button to prevent misoperation.
NIO ET7The interior continues the family-like design style, and the overall design still gives people a minimalist visual effect, and even the air outlets are hiddengot up. In addition, the vehicle uses a wrap-around waterfall ambient light, which is adjustable in 256 colors and can be linked with different light and shadow effects and scenes. The ET7 car uses a 10.2-inch HDR full LCD digital instrument panel and a 12.8-inch central control screen. The resolution of the central control screen reaches 1728x1888px. In addition, the entire ET7 series comes standard with 23 speakers with a power of 1000w, which can realize a 7.1.4 immersive sound system and theoretically has excellent sound quality performance.
The seats of the SAIC Audi A7L use a mix of leather and suede materials. In addition, the high-end executive seats use Wagner leather seat fabric. The raised side wings of the front seats provide good wrapping. The rear seats are equipped with electric seat back adjustment and aviation headrests. In addition, the Audi A7L also has a visual entertainment system, center armrest touch pad, boss button, and Type-C interface and B&O speakers.
As for the seats, NIO uses genuine leather material, and the riding experience is quite comfortable. Another important thing to talk about is of course the seat configuration. The A7L's front seats support 12-way electric adjustment and are equipped with seat heating and driver's seat memory functions. As for front seat ventilation and massage, you need to select Pretend to be able to. The front seats of Weilai ET7 support 14-way electric adjustment. The front seats also support seat heating/ventilation/massage functions, and both the main and passenger drivers have seat memory functions. Let’s look at the rear row. The A7L is somewhat lacking in sincerity, including electric backrest adjustment of the second row seats. The heating/ventilation/massage functions of the second row seats are all optional. For Weilai ET7, it has second row lumbar adjustment. As well as seat heating/ventilation/massage functions, it can be said that in terms of seat configuration, NIO ET7 is more sincere than A7L.
As for the extended space performance, it should be one of the issues that consumers are most concerned about with the A7L. An experiencer with a height of 174cm sits in the front row, with head space of only one fist and two fingers. Coming to the back row, the experiencer's legroom is much more than two fists, and the headroom is only one fist and two fingers. It can be said that the SAIC Audi A7L has been completely lengthened, and the improvement in the seating space in the car is obvious.
As for Weilai ET7, the experiencer who is really 178cm tall sits in the front row, and the head space is also one punch and two fingers. Going to the back row and keeping the front seat still, the experiencer's headroom is one punch, and the knee room is also more than two punches. In terms of seating space, it can be said that the performance of A7L and ET7 is between equals. Overall, both cars have qualified space performance at this level.
Comparison of power & assisted driving
The power aspect is probably the most different aspect of these two models. After all, one is a gasoline vehicle and the other is an electric vehicle, the driving modes are completely different. The 55TFSI model we chose is equipped with a 3.0T engine with a maximum power of 250kW and a peak torque of 500N·m. It is also matched with a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox and a quattro four-wheel drive system. In addition, the official 0-100km/h acceleration time of the 55TFSI model can reach 5.6 seconds. In terms of suspension, the A7L is equipped with a combination of front and rear five-link independent suspension. At the same time, the 55TFSI models are also equipped with air suspension, which supports suspension height and soft and hard adjustment.
ET7 is equipped with front and rear dual-drive motors. The system’s comprehensive maximum power is 480kW, the maximum torque is 850N·m, and the 0-100km/h acceleration time is 3.8 seconds. In terms of battery life, the car has battery capacities of 75kWh, 100kWh and two battery packs to choose from. Its NEDC mileage is 500km and 700km respectively. Of course, Weilai ET7 is expected to be equipped with a 150kWh battery that has not yet been mass-produced in the future, and the cruising range can exceed 1,000km. It can be said that in terms of performance, thanks to the characteristics of electric vehicles, NIO ET7 is better than SAIC Audi A7L, and NIO ET7 is equipped with a 100kWh battery pack, and the cruising range under NEDC conditions can reach 700km, even if it is still There will be some discounts, but it can also greatly alleviate battery life anxiety. Let’s talk about the A7L. In fact, its performance is outstanding among gasoline vehicles of the same level. It is actually unfair to compare it with electric vehicles. However, after all, the two models are in the same price range, and consumers will compare them when making choices. Ichiban.
In terms of assisted driving functions, the A7L has a 360-degree panoramic image, fixed speed cruise and lane departure warning, which can be said to be relatively basic functions. Even the full-speed adaptive cruise function needs to be optional, and only the top-of-the-line A7L has it. It is standard. On the other hand, ET7 can be said to be very complete in terms of assisted driving functions, which is something that new domestic forces and even independent brands can easily achieve. However, the A7L can be said to be a bit shabby in this regard, and it is not even suitable for daily use. As for the hardware configuration, this is especially true. Compared with the ET7's hardware, which is equipped to the teeth, the A7L only has the most basic ultrasonic radar and four surround-view cameras. It even lacks the full-speed adaptive cruise function and cannot even achieve L2 level driving assistance. You must know that in today's automobile market, L2-level driving assistance functions can almost be regarded as entry-level. As for ET7, I don’t think I need to go into details. What the industry-leading hardware level can bring isFor better intelligent driving assistance, NOP+ is now online. With the support of these hardware, higher-level driving assistance functions will be able to be realized in the future.
Editor's comment: After reading today's comparison, you may also be able to understand why the sales of A7L are so tepid. The comparison with ET7 today does not mean that the products of new power car companies have completely surpassed the old luxury brands. However, when facing the aggressive new power car companies, A7L does not have enough strength to cope with the challenge. What's more, in this level there are still models such as the "56E" that have dominated the list all year round, which also makes the A7L, which is already somewhat awkwardly positioned, even more unable to find a place to stay. In fact, when you open the configuration table of the A7L, you will find that there are more than a dozen configuration models to choose from. Although it provides consumers with more choices, many of the configurations that are standard on other models are even missing on the A7L. It is exclusive to the top model, and all other models need to be optional. This also makes it difficult for the A7L without configuration support to put pressure on competitors. Today, with the advent of new energy models, traditional car companies are actually being forced to enrich their configuration levels. Perhaps A7L can also think about how to optimize its own configuration levels while enhancing the brand influence of "SAIC Audi". I believe A7L will still be able to produce outstanding results by then.
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