Audi A4: The A-lister

“Ze zpringz and ze rear zuzpenzion have been retuned to zeliver a better ride in ze new A4,” a dreary boffin rambles on. I’m at The Oitavos Hotel in Lisbon, on the coast of the Atlantic, bored out of my wits at the press conference for the new Audi. I’m not sure when exactly it is that I drop off, but as soon as I start dreaming of 30-foot burnouts that smoke birds out of trees, I’m rudely interrupted. “Your car is ready, sir!” exclaims a far-too-enthusiastic voice. I trudge out under the cold, grey sky but soon warm up when I catch sight of a sparkling Misano Red S4. Its throaty quad tips and supercharged V6 perk me right up. I jump into the 333bhp beast, stick the S Tronic seven-speed auto into Drive and ram the throttle through the footwell. What follows is the biggest burnout in history. The rubbers plead for life as I watch the other hacks in my rear-view mirror disappear into a thick cloud of smoke… “Sir! Your car is ready.” What? I have a car. I’m in the S4 shredding the wheels, aren’t I? I’m not. I’m still slumped in my chair and dribbling all over the floor. There’s nothing worse than being awoken in the midst of such a brilliant dream. The good news is the conference is over but bad news soon follows as I’m told the S4 isn’t coming to our region.

There’d be no danger of me thrashing the revised A4 around Cascais, for when the wheels team travels, we’re on our best behaviour. And anyhow, the all-new 1.8-litre is too civilised for any sideways action, but I was hoping for more from the bigger 3.0-litre.
Regardless, I wasn’t keen on this junket as I find family saloons snore-inducing. Give me a howling V10 in the body of an R8 any day. But, if you thought that was Audi’s most important car, think again. No doubt it’s the four-rings’ most attractive and fastest. But it’s the far less conspicuous A4 that keeps Ingolstadt in the red. This is the brand’s best seller, its bread and butter and arguably its most important car. To keep it challenging the likes of the new 3 Series from BMW and the spruced-up C Class from Mercedes, it has undergone a midlife refresh. Almost three years have passed since the A4, which made its debut in the early Nineties, went under the surgeon’s knife and in that relatively short space of time, it had aged. However, a nip here and a tuck there and bingo, it’s back.
 
What’s new?

So here I am, trying to play spot the difference with the new car, available as
a saloon, an estate (Avant) and an all-road Quattro. It also has three trim lines to select from — Attraction, Ambition and the top-of-the-line Ambiente.

There’s more. You can select from 15 exterior colours, of which four are new. But, when coming face to face with it, I begin to wonder if there’s been a mistake in the itinerary because what’s parked dead ahead of me is, for all intents and purposes, an A6.

On closer inspection, which involves a mad dash around the back to check the badge, it is in fact an A4, though it would easily pass for its bigger brother.

My initial bout of confusion subsides, and I begin noticing the tweaks and mods which have gone a long way to improving the car’s dated looks. The first thing to catch my attention is the aggressive front fascia and those restyled adaptive headlights in particular. They’re sharper than before and now boast LED daytime running lights. The corners of the single-frame grille have been angled outwards, giving it a more hexagonal shape while the lower air inlets, housing the fog lights, are more aerodynamic than those of the previous model. It’s a face that now exudes a far more confident expression. As for the back end, the distinctive LED taillights have been slimmed down somewhat and squint angrily. A small trunk lid spoiler, two circular exhaust tips poking out from under the revised diffuser and five-spoke 17-in alloys round off what is a chiselled and handsome exterior.

Inner sanctum

Audi must spend a small fortune on getting the interior on each and every model right. From the tiny A1 to the huge Q7, cabin quality and refinement is superb and the same applies here. Though the changes are subtle, enough has been done to be able to differentiate it from the outgoing model. For a start, I find the multifunction steering wheel to be the perfect size. It feels fatter and has more grip while chrome trim finds a home around the gauge cluster, the AC vents and other areas. This adds a tinge of glamour to what is a very smart interior that combines functionality and comfort like very few others. No matter what I stroke, touch or poke everything has a solid and top-class feel about it. There are no cutting corners here as fine Nappa leather wraps itself around almost every surface rather than the cheap vinyl that other carmakers often use.

The controls have been simplified and there is less switchgear to accidentally push. Audi’s high-end media centre, the MMI navigation plus’s functions are administered by a rotary knob with four buttons on either side on the centre console that allow you to access everything from the superb 3D Sat-Nav to the DVD. It packs a 60GB hard drive for navigation, phone and music data and my only gripe with what is an otherwise delightful interior is that it feels a little cramped.

I pop the bonnet for a butcher’s at the oily bits, but there’s nothing remotely greasy about this engine bay. It’s as clean as a whistle. I recall the lacklustre boffin again. He was harping on about “ze reduction of fuel conzumption” by as much as 11 per cent and an increase of power and torque in the new car. And how about this for choice; there are 23 engine and transmission combinations that can be had for the A4. This includes six diesel and four petrol engines for the saloon and Avant body styles, and they all boast forced induction and direct injection making for superb pulling power while they all get start-stop systems as standard.

The new A4 might have all the latest tricks to keep it from chugging back fuel, but since when do you worry about that here in the Middle East? Let’s talk about more important things, like performance.

The new 1.8-litre TFSI four-pot mated to a continuously variable multitronic gearbox might be the smallest unit to arrive here in the second quarter of this year, but it packs a fair old punch. Aided by all manner of innovations such as a thermal management system and the integration of the exhaust manifold into the cylinder head, it produces 170bhp and 320Nm of torque while sipping just 5.6 litres-per-100km. Want more oomph? No problem. The 2.0-litre TFSI Quattro has 211bhp while the 3.0-litre TFSI Quattro V6 has 272bhp and 400Nm.

The latter is a feisty motor that propels the A4 from 0-100kph in 5.9 seconds and has a top speed of a limited 250kph. Power is split 40/60 to the front and rear axle and as much as 70 per cent can be sent to the front and 85 per cent to the back, while the S Tronic swaps cogs faster than you can say… anything at all. It takes milliseconds to change and it does so almost imperceptibly.
There really is only one way to enjoy this drivetrain and that’s by sticking it in Sport and shifting the gears via the paddles on the steering. The sound as the engine blips up and down is mesmerising. This was the engine for me. Not only does it make all the right noises but it bites as hard as it barks. It’s out on these wet and winding lanes, in the dead of winter, that the car comes alive. The bumpy surface cambers, dips and twists and never lets up, but the A4 takes everything in its capable stride. I was in la-la land earlier, but this gutsy 3.0-litre has me wide awake. The A4 feels sure-footed and nimble as it negotiates one tight bend after another, the chassis proving to be extremely impressive with its sporty precision and high-ride comfort. The steering, an electromechanical setup, not only improves fuel economy by not sapping any energy from the motor, but it feels exceptionally crisp and provides precise road feedback.

I’m spoilt for choice by the Audi Drive Select which has four driving modes. I make life easy by opting for my favourite, Dynamic, and leaving it there. This tightens up the steering, stiffens the dampers, sharpens up the throttle response and basically transforms the car from unassuming family saloon to a rip-roaring sportscar. It begs the question: Do you really need an R8 for sheer driving thrills? Yes, you do. But an A4 Quattro with the 3.0-litre TFSI is no slouch.

Verdict
Audi has done a stellar job on the revised A4. There’s no doubt it’ll sell exceptionally well, especially in Europe and with a 1.8-litre under the bonnet. This car is now more exciting to drive, better looking than ever and has more than enough about it to ward off the challenge of the 3 Series and C Class. As for the dreamy S4, I’ll just have to close my eyes and drift away. Hopefully, it won’t be long before I can content myself with more naughty thoughts about it…

Specs & ratings

• Model Audi A4
• Engine 3.0-litre V6
• Transmission S Tronic Quattro
• Max power 272bhp @ NA
• Max torque 400Nm @ 2,250rpm
• Top speed 250kph (limited)
• 0-100kph 5.9sec 
• Price NA