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By
EWAN KENNEDY
7 April 2008
Audi, long famed for its use of the latest in technology, has
excelled itself with the upcoming all-new A4. Due in Australia in
May, the mid-sized Audi has such stunning marvels as adaptive
cruise control, a warning system that alerts the driver if the car
wanders out of its road lane, electronically controlled shock
absorbers, and variable steering effort that can be adjusted by
the driver.
And much more, so much more that we suggest you contact an Audi
dealer, or the company’s website to get a full list of the
features.
It goes without saying that the now-traditional single-frame
grille theme is a highlight of the shape of the new Audi A4.
Indeed, to our eyes, the front end has styling cues to the
recently introduced R8, Audi's first ever entry into the rarefied
field of supercars.
Interior styling also works well. Whereas some other makers
have been struggling with a neat integration of the instrument
panel and satellite navigation screen, the designers at Audi have
managed a simple, expansive setup that’s just right. Audi has
long been famed for the design and high quality of its interiors
and that in the new A4 carries the marque’s ideas one step
further.
Audi A4 has grown significantly in all the important
dimensions, making for increased interior space and added
refinement. In many conditions, particularly in smooth-road
cruising this means the A4 now feels as smooth and quiet as its
big brother Audi A6, indeed it’s not that far behind the A8 limo
for overall comfort.
Major changes to the underbody area see the front axle moved
forward. Combine that fact with the use of lightweight aluminium
in the suspension and you will appreciate that Audi has managed to
move the centre of gravity significantly rearwards. This makes for
a better overall balance than in previous models which had the
complete engine in front of the axle.
The result is a car that no longer understeers as much as
before. Indeed, it’s surprisingly neutral for a front-wheel
drive car (quattro all-wheel drive is fitted some models). We were
most impressed with the way the car turned in, gripped the road
and happily changed direction part way through a bend. The
dynamics in even the standard models are noticeably sportier than
in older A4s. Some of this new-found dynamism is due to a
relatively firm setup.
On most roads the A4 remains impressively quiet and
comfortable, but some harsh surfaces did cause rather a jiggly
ride and the occasional pushing of the suspension onto its bump
stops during our initial test drive.
The typical Australian Audi owner tends to have a sporting bent
so this harshness on rough roads is likely to be acceptable to
them. Suspension is variable in its damping on some variants.
Again, talk to your Audi dealer for details on this interesting
system.
Audi has been strong in diesel engines for many years, indeed
an ancestor of the A4, the Audi 80, was one of the first to use a
modern-day turbo-diesel powerplant. Then there's the fact that
Audi is still the only marque to take outright victory in the Le
Mans 24-hour race in a diesel-powered car.
There are two diesel offerings in the new A4 lineup, a
2.0-litre four-cylinder with 105 kW and 320 Nm, and a 2.7-litre V6
producing 140 kW and a hefty 400 Newton metres. A third
turbo-diesel, with a capacity of 3.0 litres may appear in
Australia before the end of the year, its power and torque figures
are 176 kW and 500 Nm.
Petrol powerplants are a new design 1.8-litre turbo model and
the familiar, but improved, 3.2-litre V6. The latter comes only
with quattro all-wheel drive.
All engines, petrol and diesel, produce more power, yet use
less fuel than in their previous incarnations.
Audi's sales have skyrocketed in Australia in the last three
years and it’s hard to see this all-new Audi A4 doing anything
other than substantially increasing them yet again. It’s
combination of technology, style and pure driving pleasure make it
something rather special in this prestigious class.
The full Audi A4 range, with prices (excluding on-road costs)
is:
A4 1.8 TFSI: $50,900 (manual), $53,500 (automatic)
A4 2.0 TDI: $54,900 (automatic)
A4 3.2 FSI quattro: $88,500 (automatic)
A4 2.7 TDI: $67,900 (automatic)
A4 Avant 1.8 TFSI: TBA (due August 2008)
A4 Avant 2.0 TDI: TBA (due August 2008)
A4 3.0 TDI quattro: TBA (due October 2008)
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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