The Audi RS7 Sportback is yet another addition to the manufacturer’s rapidly growing high-performance ‘RennSport’ – racing sport – range.

You might view this continual increase in the number of derivatives as muddying the water, but there is reasoning to the seeming madness.

The RS7 is designed to offer the performance and capabilities of the RS6 Avant in a sleeker, more desirable coupé-looking bodystyle.

With the RS6’s powertrain underpinning the body of the A7 Sportback, Audi has created a four door, four-seat hatchback with a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8, eight-speed automatic transmission and permanent all-wheel drive.

It’s an impressive combination, one that promises substantial performance and all-weather tractability thanks to the improved traction offered by Audi’s quattro system.