Audi’s gorgeous fastback sedan, the 2026 RS 7, lives on for another high-spirited year, even as its A7 and S7 counterparts have been buried in the automotive graveyard.
2026 Audi RS 7 Pricing, Specs, and Release Date
- What’s New for the 2026 Audi RS 7
- Design
- Powertrain
- Interior
- Technology
- Safety
- Pricing and Release Date
- Further Research
What’s New for the 2026 Audi RS 7
The RS 7 is a case of dead car walking, as its A7 and S7 siblings have been replaced by the A6 e-tron. The RS 7 has an eclectic counterpart in the RS e-tron GT. For 2026, the Audi RS 7 carries over except for optional blue-painted brake calipers and standard Audi Signature Care, which includes complimentary scheduled service for the first three years or 30,000 miles of ownership.
Design
Audi calls the RS 7 a five-door coupe, but it’s really a four-door sedan with a beautifully curved sloping roof that tapers into a hatchback rear. It’s stately but striking, with a broad honeycomb grille, large air intakes, razor-sharp lighting, and 21-inch wheels that can be upgraded to 22-inchers to flex its near supercar-like performance. There’s only one trim, but options abound, from a Matte Carbon package with summer performance tires to a sport suspension and available ceramic brakes.
Powertrain
The RS 7 employs a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 that roars. It generates 621 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque, and hits 60 mph in an Audi-estimated 3.3 seconds. It tops out at 155 mph, but when optioned appropriately, it can hit 190 mph. The telepathic eight-speed automatic routes the prodigious power to Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive (AWD) system. The air spring suspension matches the performance profile, as does a sport rear differential, and all-wheel steering. An optional sport suspension takes it a step further, but the optional carbon ceramic brakes arrest such quick stepping. All this performance in a fairly large sedan results in an EPA rating of 14 mpg city, 22 mpg highway, and 16 mpg combined.
Interior
Inside, rich quilted leather blends with metallic touch points, but the RS 7's cockpit is almost austere by luxury standards. It has the expected comforts, such as a panoramic sunroof, quad-zone automatic climate control, LED ambient cabin lighting, heated and ventilated front seats, and power-adjustable front seats. The rear technically seats three, but only two can sit there comfortably. The RS 7 has 24.6 cubic feet of cargo space in the deep but short cargo area, and it can expand further with the 40/20/40 rear seatbacks folded down.
Technology
Though the interior materials lack some top-shelf refinements of rivals, Audi makes up for it with relatively user-friendly technology. The stacked infotainment system consists of an upper 10.1-inch touchscreen for the navigation system, audio controls, multimedia, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A lower 8.6-inch touchscreen, boasting the best haptic feedback we've experienced, operates the climate control, heated seats, and other vehicle settings. A 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen premium audio system is available.
Safety
The 2026 RS 7 comes equipped with standard driver-assistance features such as forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, front and rear parking sensors, lane-departure warning, automatic high beams, and a surround-view camera system. Adaptive cruise control, which really should be standard on a vehicle in this high-price segment, will set you back $2,000. Crash-test ratings are not currently available.
Pricing and Release Date
Pricing for the 2026 RS 7 starts at $133,995, including a $1,295 destination fee. With the exception of gray, any paint color adds $595 to the bottom line, and 22-inch wheels tack on at least $2,500 more. A $3,500 package treats the interior to red, gray or blue accents, and Audi charges $9,000 for the ceramic brakes.
