News Source: topspeed.com

The trendy and gorgeous Audi A7  is receiving a facelift for 2015, and with it comes a new 3.0 TDI Ultra model that pushes the turbo-diesel to new heights of efficiency and cleanliness. Introduced in 2012 to compete with the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class  , the A7 was an immediate hit. Combining arguably the best styling in the segment, a sumptuous interior, and excellent performance, it’s no wonder this car was so well-received. It wasn’t just consumers who were impressed; the A7 won several awards, including the Automobile Magazine 2012 Car of the Year Award. Autoweek featured the A7 in its "Best of the Best" feature, and, in general The A7 has been at or near the top in virtually every comparison test since its arrival on the U.S. scene.

The TDI version, introduced here just this year, has also been praised. In a recent road test of the 2014 Audi A7 TDI, Car and Driver exclaimed themselves "drunk on diesel." They were particularly enamored with the TDI’s endless 428 pound-feet of torque and excellent efficiency, with a 30 mpg combined rating.

Not one to rest on its laurels, however, Audi  is giving the A7 TDI a new Ultra version to help reduce consumption and emissions even more.

Audi has added subtle styling changes to make the A7 even more of a looker, if that’s possible, and the A7 3.0 TDI Ultra follows the lead of the rest of the lineup. Spend a few minutes studying the new design, and it becomes obvious that it has succeeded admirably.

The corporate Audi grille is slightly different, now with more complex angles instead of the rounded soft corners of the 2014 model. While the new grill has more angles integrated into it, the front air intakes have fewer and neatly take on the shape of near-parallelograms.

The updated headlights —now featuring standard LED technology— are the same basic shape but with thinner inner-contours, while the angles at the innermost part have been reversed. The LED daytime-running lights are also more cohesively integrated into the headlight design. This front refresh gives the A7 a menacing, almost "mean" look that so many automakers are striving for these days. It all comes together flawlessly, almost making the still-gorgeous 2014 model appear dated.

Rear-end changes are less dramatic, but a close view will reveal subtle updates. The taillights, while still the same shape, are slightly smaller with a crisper appearance. Also, there are attractive LED accent lines — likely for taillight illumination — which closely mimic the DRL treatment up front. Both front and rear fascias feature Audi’s dynamic turn signals.

The lower bumper is different, too, with a cleaner lower-lip and different exhaust outlets. Gone are the circular tips for a more rectangular shape. This integrates with the taillights attractively.

The side profile hasn’t changed much — not that it needed any fixing — but in typical refresh fashion, expect updated wheel designs.

The A7’s interior has been universally praised from day one. Critics fawned over the cockpit-themed design — a departure from the more traditional A6  or A8  — and the usual Audi technological goodies. Audis are well known to be the best in the biz when it comes to interiors, and the A7 was certainly no exception.

For 2015, Audi is sweetening the pot with new trim options. Beaufort aluminum-inlaid walnut wood-trim and new, Valcona leather trim are now options. While the A7 — and every high-end Audi — has been praised for its array of wood-trim offerings, this new Beaufort is even a step above. Pictures I’ve seen of this remind me of the wood that a Chris-Craft cruiser would be made out of. Not surprisingly, Audi claims that this new trim was inspired by yacht-building. The A7’s cabin will also be available with five new color palettes for 2015.

The rest of the interior is pretty much the same, save for a new, more attractive shifter and a dash of chrome trim directly above the CD loader. Audi has yet to make the transition to full TFT instrumentation, and we feel its current setup — classic, attractive analog gauges — fits the bill just fine. A smaller TFT screen does reside between said analog gauges to convey navigation and other pertinent information to the driver.

Finally, expect an upgrade of the night-vision system and a state-of-the-art head-up display. These will be combined with the latest application of Audi’s MMI infotainment system, with 4G LTE connectivity available to keep iPads functioning on road trips.