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By
EWAN KENNEDY
27 March 2006
Keen on becoming a full-on force amongst the
prestige German car marques in Australia, Audi is offering a huge number
of models to tempt the largest possible number of buyers. No more so
than in the A4 range where there are engines with either four, six or
eight cylinders, ranging in size from 1.8 to 4.2 litres. To further
increase the choice some of the petrol engines, as well as the diesels,
come with the added lift provided by a turbocharger.
Not to forget a choice offered by
few other car makers, that between two- or four-wheel drive. The
latter called quattro in Audi parlance.
Over the last couple of weeks we’ve
been testing Audi A4s from the opposite ends of the power
spectrum; a four-cylinder 2.0-litre turbo-diesel that produces
103kW and the sports version of the A4 lineup, the Audi S4, with
almost two and a half times as much power at 253kW. (Coming in a
few weeks is an even hotter model, the 313kW RS4 V8.)
Let's concentrate on the Audi A4
with the diesel engine during this road test as it’s the latest
to join the A4 range and just one of a sudden rush of
turbo-diesels to come to Australia from Europe.
Mercedes and Peugeot have been
present in the diesel field in Australia for decades, but in
recent times Audi, BMW, Citroen and Volkswagen have also become
serious about these economical engines.
The emphasis on diesels has come
partly because of the sudden rises in fuel prices midway through
2005, but also because the latest generation of Euro diesels is
far more refined than older units, and many of them have
performance that’s virtually as good as petrol engines’.
The Audi A4 2.0 TDI's 103kW has
already been mentioned, but the real strength of any turbo engine
is its torque. In this case a maximum of 320 Newton metres, or
about the same figure as you would expect from a 3.5-litre
non-turbo petrol engine.
Sitting behind the turbo-diesel
engine is a state-of-the-art continuously variable transmission,
dubbed Multitronic by Audi, as a further aid to fuel economy.
During our testing the A4 TDI used
about six to seven litres per hundred kilometres in country and
motorway driving and eight to nine litres per hundred in suburban
and city use. These figures are typically 20 to 30 per cent lower
than from a petrol engine with similar performance. However,
diesel fuel in Australia is often significantly more expensive
than petrol so a lot of the savings are wiped out.
We found the Audi turbo-diesel to
be surprisingly noisy at idle when heard from outside the car. On
the inside it still had higher sound levels than a petrol A4, but
wasn’t nearly as noticeable as on the outside. Once moving the
engine became quieter and was little different from an aural point
of view than a petrol unit.
On the road the diesel engine is
willing to hold onto high ratios in normal cruising and drops down
ratios promptly thanks to the efficiency of the Multitronic
transmission. The transmission assists in taking out the effects
of turbo lag and from 2000rpm the A4 TDI has plenty of grunt. It
runs out of puff at about 4500rpm but the transmission again masks
that fact.
Audi's latest A4 got a complete
body makeover in March 2005, with the front being reshaped to
carry the Audi single-frame grille. At the same time the sides
were modified to give it a more aggressive look similar to that of
the new A6 and the tail neatly tucked to give an almost Italian
appearance.
Inside, the level of luxury was
increased by the use of even higher quality materials. The seats
are supportive without being overly aggressive in the way they
cradle the occupants and remain comfortable over long distances.
Boot space is larger thanks to the reshaping of the A4's tail.
Considerable work went into
improving the suspension and steering on the A4 as part of the
2005 makeover. There's now less understeer and a feeling of
improved balance when you press the car hard at bends. Not that
you buy a turbo-diesel to drive it like a sports sedan, but it’s
nice to know that it will look after you at speed.
These improvements have been
achieved with no noticeable loss in ride comfort. As a long
distance tourer on good to moderate roads there are few cars that
make lighter work of long trips than does this mid-size Audi. It
simply wafts along with a minimum of fuss and does so in a refined
manner that owners just love.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
A4 2.0-litre four-door sedan - $47,300
A4 Avant 2.0-litre five-door wagon - $53,550
A4 1.8T 1.8-litre four-door sedan - $55,600
A4 TDI 2.0-litre diesel four-door sedan - $56,990
A4 1.8T Avant quattro 1.8-litre five-door wagon - $59,200
A4 FSI 2.0-litre turbo four-door sedan - $61,750
A4 FSI 2.0-litre turbo quattro four-door sedan - $63,400
A4 TFSI Avant quattro 2.0-litre five-door wagon - $67,600
A4 FSI 3.2-litre four-door sedan - $79,750
A4 FSI quattro 3.2-litre four-door sedan - $83,300
S4 4.2-litre four-door sedan - $131,200
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard on all models
Air Conditioning: Standard on all models
Automatic Transmission: Not offered on 1.8T quattro, $2500 option
on 2.0T FSI, standard on all other models
CD Player: Standard on all models
Central Locking: Standard on all models
Cruise Control: Standard on all models
Driver Airbag: Standard on all models
Passenger Airbag: Standard on all models
Front Side Airbags: Standard on all models
SPECIFICATIONS (Audi A4 TDI 2.0-litre diesel four-door sedan)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 1.968 litres
Configuration: Four cylinders in line
Head Design: OHC, four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 18.0:1
Bore/Stroke: 81.0 x 95.5mm
Maximum Power: 103kW @ 4000rpm
Maximum Torque: 320Nm @ 1750-2500rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: Front
Manual Transmission: Not offered
Automatic Transmission: Continuously variable
Final Drive Ratio: 5.297:1
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4586mm
Wheelbase: 2648mm
Width: 1772mm
Height: 1427mm
Turning Circle: 11.1 metres
Kerb Mass: 1470kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 70 litres
Towing Ability: 750kg (up to 1800kg with braked trailer)
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES
Front Suspension: Four-link axle, upper and lower wishbones, coil
springs, anti-roll bar
Rear Suspension: Independent, trapezoidal link, coil springs,
torsion beam, anti-roll bar
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: 9.8 secs
Standing 400 Metres: 16.6 secs
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
City Cycle: 8.5 L/100km
Highway Cycle: 5.7 L/100km
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years / unlimited km
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Copyright Marque Publishing Company
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