Audi makes some of the sexiest coupes on the road today. Among others, these include the almighty badass R8, which is particularly awesome because Ironman drives one.

Trouble is, when more than one passenger requires a ride, you might be out of luck. Some Audi coupes have small back seats, and others, like the R8, have none at all.

For some shoppers, Audi’s new A7 might be the solution. A departure from the chiseled, chunky and muscular looks of many recent Audi’s, the A7 is soft, sweeping, smooth, elegant and graceful— albeit capped off with a demanding, intimidating scowl that’ll stare lesser machinery into submission. It’s like a rolling sheet-metal Miranda Priestly.

	Audi A7 3.0T
	Starting Price: $68,600
	Engine: 3.0 litre V6, direct injected, supercharged, aftercooled, 310 horsepower Drivetrain: Quattro AWD Transmission: 8-speed automatic with paddle shifters
	Observed Average Mileage:10.9L / 100km
	Features:Navigation, night-vision, Bluetooth, heated and chilled seats, Drive Select controller What’s Hot:Good highway mileage, great looks, all-season sportiness, exceptional headlight performance What’s Not: Restrained interior looks, some learning curve to advanced features, annoying parking system

That face, as one of the most glaring on this side of six-digit territory, is a striking-bit of styling. All said, this ‘four-door coupe’ looks like a seriously big deal rolling down the road.

The tester’s cabin contrasted starkly with the depthy, detailed and expressive body. Simple colors and shapes left your writer wishing for some more flare and energy to match the exterior look—but even if this isn’t Audi’s most exciting interior, it’s still virtually perfectly assembled and trimmed.

High-tech goodies included a night-vision camera that can actively detect and track pedestrians on dark roads, a Heads Up Display (HUD) a la fighter jet, and a unique doodle-pad gizmo that lets drivers use their fingertip to scribble a phone number or destination directly into the computer. Slick stuff.

Functionally, the sleek, coupe-like roofline means rear headroom is limited for taller occupants, though it’ll handle four adults of standard height with no concern.

There’s a surprising level of utility, too. The wide, long trunk is accessed by a motorized tailgate and should offer up plenty of room for your gear. And with standard Quattro All Wheel Drive, it’s a sporty bit of elegant utility you can use confidently, even in the middle of a blizzard.

The A7’s headlights are noteworthy. I’ve driven countless thousands of kilometers in hundreds of cars after dark, and the A7’s lighting system is easily amongst the best I’ve ever come across. The color, spread, saturation and quality of its illumination is magnificent.

With just three litres of displacement, the A7’s V6 uses direct injection and a so-called ‘mechanical turbocharger’ to boost power output. Us Canadians call that a ‘Supercharger’, by the way.

Drivers get 310 horsepower, handled by an automatic transmission with a quick-reacting manual mode. The 8-speed box helps the A7 perform strongly while enabling mileage figures which suggest otherwise.

My test average consumption landed at 10.9L / 100km of premium, with that figure falling just below 7 during highway cruising in no particular rush. Driven gently, you’re not paying to feed all 310 horsepower.

Opened up, the powerplant has a restrained, delightful howl that calls a Porsche flat-six to mind. The supercharger operates in silence, but helps crank out liquid smooth, linear and robust power output at any RPM. And the nearly-startling levels of off-the-line thrust feel as if they came from a much larger engine.

Handling is planted, stable and composed, even ripping up corners at high speed. In its ‘dynamic’ mode, A7’s steering is heavy and quick-- encouraging dialed-in exploration of the A7’s limits. Note that the optional up-sized wheels and low-profile tires may result in a rough ride on some surfaces.

But, satisfying all-around performance, here. After a week and nearly 3,000 kilometres, I didn’t find any one part of the A7 to be the single most overwhelming reason to check it out. It’s a machine that’s equal parts luxury, high-tech, year-round supercharged sportiness, and utility.

A sophisticated ‘Jack of All Trades’, if you will.