Audi introduced the RS 7 Sportback in 2013 as the high-performance flagship version of the A7 Sportback line. It was conceived as a five-door fastback that combined grand-touring style with Audi Sport’s RS performance formula, giving the A7 body a more dramatic, wider, and more aggressive character than the standard and S models. Audi’s own company materials note that the RS 7 Sportback was presented at the start of 2013 and entered the line later that year, which places its first model year in 2014 in many markets, though the nameplate itself arrived in 2013.
The RS 7 quickly became one of Audi’s most recognizable RS cars because it paired the elegant Sportback shape with serious performance credentials and everyday usability. Unlike some RS models that sit on dedicated sports-car platforms, the RS 7 has always been defined by the tension between luxury fastback practicality and top-tier Audi Sport engineering. That formula helped establish it as a halo model for the brand’s large-car performance range.
A second generation followed with the redesigned A7 family, continuing the RS 7 Sportback nameplate rather than replacing it with a new model identity. Audi has also used the RS 7 to showcase evolving Audi Sport technology and design themes, including the widened bodywork and progressively more aggressive styling that distinguish RS models from the standard A7. More recently, Audi has offered the RS 7 Sportback in high-output performance form, reinforcing its role as the most overtly performance-focused member of the A7 line. The nameplate remains in production, so there is no final model year to record.