Facelifted Audi A4 has new lamps, bumpers and wheels, and four of its 15 colours are fresh coats.
More power produced, less petrol used, less emissions… That’s the magic formula when it comes to cars these days, and Audi has followed accordingly with its newly improved A4 saloon.
The German automaker prefers to call it a product upgrade. The biggest “up” is in the 1.8-litre TFSI’s power output, which has jumped from 160bhp and 250Nm to 170bhp and 320Nm. With a 6-speed manual gearbox (as tested), the front-drive car takes 8.1 seconds to complete the century sprint – the multitronic automatic (CVT in Audi-speak) requires just 0.2 of a second longer to do the same.
Dashboard has been tastefully upgraded in trim, fit and finish; ergonomics is top notch.
What makes all these numbers special is that the A4 does it while taking smaller sips from the fuel tank. There is an average drop in fuel consumption of 11 per cent across the revised range, with the CVT 1.8– likely to remain the most popular A4 model in Singapore – returning over 17 kilometres per litre on the combined cycle. That is a gain of over 25 per cent compared to its predecessor, which is also slower and less powerful, remember.
Key to the 1.8-litre turbo engine’s impressive performance is an innovative variable valvelift system. It ensures the vehicle is never short of grunt and plays its part to trim the fuel bill at the same time. Tree huggers will also be glad to know that it spews out significantly less exhaust emissions, too.
Another eco-feature is auto start-stop, which shuts off the engine at a standstill and brings it back to life when you take your foot off the brake pedal and step on the gas pedal again.
Cockpit’s contact points have been refined further; Beaufort Oak wood veneer is very classy.
Even the A4’s steering system helps to conserve petrol. An electro-mechanical device first employed in the A6, it draws zero power from the car’s engine when the wheels are pointed straight. This saves 300 millilitres of precious unleaded per kilometre over the previous steering rack.
Of course, the driver is much more likely to notice that the car steers with precision – in this case, through the narrow and twisty roads of Cascais. The frequent changes in gradient required regular downshifting into lower gears, which the 6-speed manual handled happily, and when the A4 was shown an open road, it was equally happy gobbling up the miles in sixth gear.
Here in Singapore, where there are Portuguese egg tarts instead of Portuguese tarmac, A4 drivers can “change gears” using the “8-speed” override function of the continuously variable transmission.
There are other gizmos besides the CVT. The driver drowsiness warning, for instance, works at speeds of over 65km/h to detect erratic driving (by comparing it against the driver’s normal motoring style) and then emit audio-visual signals suggesting a coffee break.
Another gadget is adaptive cruise control, which uses front-mounted radar sensors to maintain a safe distance to the car ahead while the A4, well, cruises along at a pre-set speed. The system is smart enough to stop the Audi completely if a collision is imminent.
Wheelbase is unchanged at a generous 2808mm, but interior space stays ample.
All the gadgetry does its work while the car’s occupants are cosseted in luxury, with creature comforts surrounding them even though the A4 is Audi’s entry point for executive saloons. You sink into supple leather seats, your fingers are wrapped around a chunky new steering wheel, and you see chrome and gloss glimmer from the dashboard buttons. The Multi Media Interface (MMI) is now even easier to use, with fewer keys to press when accessing the navigation and infotainment programmes.
Enhanced turbocharged 1.8-litre 4-cylinder develops 10bhp and 70Nm more than before.
Outside the cabin, the A4 has adopted the current Audi family look. Sleek headlamps feature continuous-strip running lights instead of the dotted ones that underline the previous “face”, trapezoid-shaped fog lamps sit pretty in the front bumper and a deep, six-sided grille frames the four-ring emblem and registration plate. At the rear are twin chrome tailpipes and the tail-lights incorporate the latest LED technology.
Farbe: Cuv esilber
For power-hungry yuppies, the A4 is also available with a supercharged 3-litre V6 in two states of tune – a 272bhp unit to replace the old 3.2 model and a 333bhp unit for the range-topping S4. The latter takes just 5 seconds for the 0-100km/h blitz and keeps rushing up the road till you get dry in the throat. Handle with care!
Audi A4 1.8 (A)
ENGINE 1798cc, 16-valves, inline-4, turbocharged
MAX POWER 170bhp at 3800-6200rpm
MAX TORQUE 320Nm at 1400-3700rpm
GEARBOX CVT with 8-speed override
0-100KM/H 8.3 seconds
TOP SPEED 225km/h
CONSUMPTION 17.2km/L
Check out the latest Audi A4
