The full size limousine is outside on the way to the way, and the Audi A7 and S7 have become the youngest victim in the war against comfortable five-beisers. The Ingolstadt-based car manufacturer has reportedly dropped most of the A7 line from the line-up in the United States. Instead, US buyers choose between a delimited line-up made of the A6-A6 and the Rothot RS 7. This may be bad news for fans of the four-ring brand, but these are probably very good news for BMW.
Audi shrinks his limousine setup
Audi’s decision to reduce its line -up at the top reflects the repositioning of the brand that the market has depressed. The Audi A4 folded into the Audi A5 and competed with the BMW 3 Series as one. This was originally a step to better distinguish the brand’s electrical models (cars of the same number will be electrical). Although the brand was announced in 2023 in 2023, the brand got back and introduced a gas -powered A6. After 2025, Audi’s top end offers shrink to only the RS 7 and the A6. With less than 3,000 A7 models sold in the past year and a half, this is not a completely surprising step. For comparison, 5,707 BMW 7 series found new houses in 2025 alone.
While Audi condenses the list in the name of the simplification, this is certainly not the approach that BMW – apparently successful – has followed. The BMW 7 series in model year 2026 is available in at least 7 different guys. They range from exclusively gas-powered models such as the 740i and 760i XDrive to fully electrical i7 models and a hybrid BMW 750E XDRIVE. Buyers in the segment are used to getting what they want. A large number of drive strands only make sense.
The price gap leaves BMW room to dominate the luxury sedan market
There is another problem with the Audi strategy – price. While the BMW 7 Series is expensive, starting at around 100,000 US dollars before adding a single option, it covers an enormous spread. Top line models can scratch $ 200,000, with a model of almost $ 10,000 installed between the two points. The Audi A7 started at 72,000 US dollars and the 7 S7 at 85,700 US dollars, which made it excellent alternatives for buyers at the lower end of the 7 Series scale. In the rejected line-up, the Audi RS 7 for $ 132,000 and the Audi A6 is around $ 70,000 much closer to a 5-way fighter than the potential king of the hill.
Ultimately, we believe that Audi’s move will strengthen the sale of A6 and the sale of BMW 7 series. With a less competitor at the head of the ladder, the BMW 7 Series can continue to dominate the luxurious limousine segment in full size. In the meantime, A6 buyers will enjoy their positioning on the “top” of the Audi line-up, and the new A6 (which is also supposed to fight against the BMW 5 series) is the only choice for loyalists who can or not want to afford the powerful RS 7.
Since Mercedes does not break down sales according to the model, we are not sure how the S class fits the equation. But if you consider that BMW is running the sales of the USA among the Germans – already selling 36,000 units more than Merc in the first half of the year – we doubt that BMW is very concerned. It looks as if the BMW 7 series could be the former and future king of the luxury car segment in full size.
Source: automotive messages
