First Drive Review
If you subscribe to the notion that the holy trinity of sports sedans is composed entirely of Teutons, then it’s likely you also perceive Audi as third among equals. Naturally, Audi has been working hard to amend this perception. So here’s the latest A4, generation eight in a line dating to the 1972 Audi 80. If perceptual parity were to settle on a single model, this is the one Audi would like to see anointed.
The makeover is about as major as makeovers get in this age of thrift, and Audi is calling the finished product “the sportiest mid-size saloon.” Considering the key competition—the BMW 3-series and the Mercedes C-class—this is a bold assertion, perhaps too bold, based on our brief seat time.
Here’s what’s certain. The next-gen A4 is bigger than the current car, as well as its German rivals. The wheelbase has been stretched 6.3 inches to 110.6, overall length extends 4.6 inches to 185.2, and width increases by 2.1 inches to 71.9. Only the height—56.2 inches—is unchanged.
The net of all this expansion is the roomiest sedan among the Germanic trio, says Audi, as well as slick styling (0.27 Cd) with reduced front overhang. Audi also claims the size increase does not entail a corresponding increase in mass, thanks in part to the use of aluminum for the multilink front suspension. Audi lists curb weight for the A4 3.2 FSI Quattro—it will be the first to reach U.S. showrooms in the fall, to be followed by a 2.0-liter turbo four—at 3500 pounds, a total that includes a six-speed Tiptronic automatic and is about 150 fewer pounds than the claim for the outgoing car. Less weight should mean more go. Audi forecasts 0-to-62 mph in 6.2 seconds. An ’05 V-6 A4 Quattro test car managed 60 mph in a tepid 7.5.
This is the most technically sophisticated A4 yet, with a new automatic damping system, a clever new variable-ratio rack-and-pinion steering system, and variable timing and lift in the valvetrain, raising output of the V-6 from 255 horsepower to 265 and, according to Audi, increasing fuel economy by 12 percent. The dynamic elements noted here—variable damping, variable steering ratio, and variable transmission shift points—fall under the heading of Audi drive select, an option that gives the driver three modes, ranging from boulevard comfort to back-road action.
We won’t know what the bottom line is until September. Audi hopes to hold the line on pricing, but that, like the sportiest saloon claim, remains to be seen.
