With many automakers expanding their lineups to satisfy every niche in the market, some previously thin segments have exploded with entries. One of the most notable is the four-door coupe. The Mercedes-Benz CLS-class kicked off the trend, of course, and the segment now includes stuff as varied as the Volkswagen CC and the Aston Martin Rapide. Heck, we wouldn’t call you crazy if you argued that the idea influenced the design of the latest Hyundai Sonata. The idea behind all of them: Combine sultry styling with four-door practicality, and, in some cases, hatchback versatility. The latest from Audi, this sexy A7 Sportback, is one that hits all three notes.

An Elegant Shape

The A7 actually is the second recent Audi to play this tune, but it will be the only one sold in the U.S.; the 2010 A5 Sportback will remain forbidden fruit. But we don’t mind that we had to wait for such a four-ringer, as we feel the swoopy styling looks even more fantastic stretched over the A7’s longer, 114.6-inch wheelbase. You might notice that figure puts the A7 size-wise in between the latest 2011 A8 (117.8-inch wheelbase) and the current A6 (111.9), which could lead to some confusion over this car’s origins. Let’s put that to rest: The A7’s underpinnings are more closely related to the A6’s, specifically those of the next -generation A6, which is due out for 2012.

Up front, the A7 wears the latest interpretation of Audi’s trapezoidal grille, as well as the brand’s now-signature LED running lights. Two lower intakes mirror the shape of the headlight housings, but they don’t house fog lights; those are integrated into the standard xenon headlights themselves. Eighteen-bulb, full-LED headlamps like those available on the A8 and R8 5.2 are an option on the A7.

The side and rear views are the most memorable to our eyes. What Audi dubs a “tornado line” gently arches from the upper corner of the headlight, flattening out as it moves rearward to the LED-lit taillight. This sharp crease defines the A7’s shoulders, and serves as a nice complement to the graceful roofline. The power-operated hatch’s large rear backlight flows into a hidden, automatically deploying spoiler that rises above 81 mph and retracts below 50. Eighteen-, 19-, or 20-inch wheels sit below subtle flares that contribute to an overall look of understated elegance, an impression further enhanced by the fact that the car is just 55.9 inches high. For reference, the A6 is 57.4 inches tall.

Elegant Inside, Too

Just as the exterior stays true to that of the A7 concept shown at the 2009 Detroit auto show, so does the interior. The upper section of the dash resembles the new A8’s, but the center stack in the A7 features upright climate controls and other buttons repositioned around the shift lever. Drivers will grip a four-spoke steering wheel that sits in front of a gauge cluster housing either a five-inch text display or a full-color seven-inch screen. An additional 6.5-inch screen in the center console hosts the MMI system. The entry-level version of MMI controls the stereo and other basic functions, with navigation available at additional cost. There’s also the top-dog MMI Navigation Plus setup, which adds an eight-inch monitor in the center console (in place of a 6.5-inch unit) and a nifty touchpad that can read inputs drawn with a fingertip. Internet connectivity is available on the A7, too.

America’s love for sedans is, like a lot of American quirks, not universally embraced beyond our borders. More practical five-door hatchbacks are the rage in Europe and Asia, and as such, Mitsubishi had to build one to be competitive overseas with its Lancer compact sedan. The only question is whether that hatch should come to the U.S.

Well, whether it should or shouldn’t be coming, it is. Sales of the 2010 Lancer Sportback wagon commence around September 1. The 168-hp GTS starts at $19,910 with a five-speed manual and $20,910 with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). The 237-hp all-wheel-drive Ralliart with a six-speed dual-clutch automated manual starts at $28,310, just a couple hundred dollars higher than the sedan.

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The wraps have been pulled off Audi’s new A5 Sportback. The hatch-totin’ sedan basically combines an A4 wagon and an A5 coupe with the roofline of an upside-down whale, while offering little of those things’ respective practicality, sexiness, or baleen.

Enough Engines to Make Our Heads Spin

The A4-based car won’t be coming to America, but Europeans have six engines to choose from at launch, all of them direct-injected, and all of them turbocharged. Three TDI diesels are on offer: a 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 170 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, a 2.7-liter V-6 good for 190 hp and 295 lb-ft, and a 3.0-liter V-6 that produces 240 hp and a mouth-watering 369 lb-ft. Acceleration to 62 mph is claimed at 8.7 seconds, 8.2 seconds, and 6.1 seconds, respectively.

There are gasoline engines on tap, too, including the ubiquitous VW Group 2.0-liter turbo four—it comes in 180-hp/236-lb-ft or 211-hp/258-lb-ft flavors—and a 3.2-liter V-6 rated at 265 hp and 243 lb-ft. Zero to 62 mph takes 6.6 seconds with the two most powerful motors, according to Audi.
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Mitsubishi told us way back in June that it would debut the five-door Lancer Sportback and Sportback Ralliart at the Paris Motor Show in October. They were close, as images of the two models have surfaced on the web today just a week before the big show in Paris. The new Sportback model adds all the versatility of Subaru’s similarly shaped 5-door Impreza models, which should be a big hit in Europe where they’ll go on sale first.

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