The complete-size sedan is on its means out, and the Audi A7 and S7 have turn out to be the most recent casualty within the battle in opposition to comfortable five-seaters. The Ingolstadt-based automaker has reportedly dropped a lot of the A7 line from the lineup within the US. As a substitute, US customers will select between a pared down lineup consisting of the A6 and red-hot RS 7. Whereas that is probably unhealthy information for followers of the four-ring model, that is possible excellent information for BMW.
Audi Shrinks Its Sedan Lineup
Audi’s choice to shrink its lineup on the prime finish displays repositioning the model made down market. The Audi A4 folded into the Audi A5, rivaling the BMW 3 Sequence as one. That was initially a transfer to raised distinguish the model’s electrical fashions (even-numbered vehicles will likely be electrical). Nevertheless, regardless of being introduced in 2023, lower than two years later, the model backtracked on that preliminary plan and launched a gas-powered A6. After 2025, Audi’s top-end choices shrink to simply the RS 7 and the A6. With lower than 3,000 A7 fashions bought within the final yr and a half, it’s not an altogether stunning transfer. By comparability 5,707 BMW 7 Sequence discovered new houses in 2025 alone.
Whereas Audi condenses the lineup within the title of simplification, that’s definitely not the strategy BMW has — apparently efficiently — taken. The BMW 7 Sequence, now within the 2026 mannequin yr, is obtainable in a minimum of 7 completely different guises. Starting from completely gas-powered fashions just like the 740i and 760i xDrive to totally electrical i7 fashions and a hybrid BMW 750e xDriveyou may order a BMW 7 Sequence in practically any vogue you’d like. Consumers within the section are used to getting what they need; so having quite a lot of powertrains simply is smart.
Pricing Hole Leaves Room for BMW to Dominate the Luxurious Sedan Market
There’s one other situation with Audi’s technique right here — worth. Whereas the BMW 7 Sequence is dear, beginning at round $100,000 earlier than you add a single possibility, it covers an enormous unfold. High-line fashions can scratch $200,000, with a mannequin slotting in at practically each $10,000 interval between the 2 factors. The Audi A7 began at $72,000 and the S7 at $85,700, which made them glorious alternate options for customers on the decrease finish of the 7 Sequence scale. The rejiggered lineup sees the Audi RS 7 at $132,000 and the Audi A6 someplace round $70,000 — a lot nearer to a 5 Sequence fighter than the would-be king of the hill. There’s at all times the A8 — Audi’s true reply to the 7 Sequence — however that instructions a worth a lot nearer to the 7 Sequence. The relative “discount” of the A7/S7 disappears.
Finally, we expect Audi’s transfer will bolster each A6 gross sales and BMW 7 Sequence gross sales. With one much less competitor on the prime of the ladder, BMW’s 7er can proceed to dominate the full-size luxurious sedan section. In the meantime, A6 customers will take pleasure in its positioning nearer to the “prime” of the Audi lineup, and the brand new A6 (which additionally ostensibly fights the BMW 5 Sequence) would be the solely selection for loyalists that may’t afford or don’t need the high-performance RS 7. Or discover the A8 a doubtful worth. In fact…a few of these customers will possible merely transfer over to BMW, too.
Since Mercedes doesn’t break down gross sales by mannequin, we’re uncertain how the S Class matches into the equation. However contemplating BMW leads US gross sales among the many Germans — already promoting 36,000 extra models than Merc within the first half of the yr — we doubt BMW may be very fearful. It seems to be just like the BMW 7 Sequence often is the as soon as and future king of the full-size luxurious automotive section.
Supply: Automotive Information
