New A4 closes on image brands

Audi have been trying hard for a long time to be considered one of the serious contenders in the executive market. And as the upper leaf in the trinity that makes up the core of the VW Group, they have a certain cachet on their side. Trouble is, the VW connection, however high quality Volkswagen is, must to some degree pull them back from being perceived as another Mercedes-Benz or BMW.

The only way to do it is do it better than do those others. And, you know, maybe they’ve cracked it? At the very least, they’re getting very very close, certainly with the latest A4.

It is an all-new car, not a cosmetic revamp of the older one. It’s better-looking, but hasn’t tried to be brash or radical in looks. The new subtle sculpting and increased length of the latest version certainly adds a significant presence. The front end has greater depth, and the integrated three-light lenses have instant aesthetic appeal. The rear end treatment is simple and tidy.

Audi’s designers have made some decent strides with the interior of the new car, but maybe they might have stretched themselves a little more in the dashboard design. A metallised strip the full width of the fascia merges with a similar trim on the doors, but otherwise the general look is a little old-fashioned. Though the centre stack for the climate and radio controls is nicely done.

The review car had leather seats that certainly added an executive ‘I-want-it’ look, and they bring up the interior no end. There’s ample room front and rear for four and all their elbows.

I found that it’s very important to take the time to get comfortable in the driving area of this new A4. Partly because it can be quite UNcomfortable otherwise and also because there’s plenty of lattitude in the different adjustments and it IS possible to get a really good position.

However, I did find a problem with the pedal positioning at first, mainly because there’s just not quite enough room between the clutch pedal and the footrest for my ten-and-a-halfs. Opinions always differ on what constitutes the ‘95 percentile’ which dictates the range of adjustment options in a car’s ergonomics.

Or maybe I’m just an awkward fit anyway ...

But, as always, one gets used to such idiosyncracies. I did.

Let’s clear the driver’s place, anyway. The instruments cluster is traditional, two main dials and two subsidiary ones. In between the speedo and the rev-counter there’s a screen showing the radio station chosen, the range left in the tank (which was very accurate, by the way), outside temperature, and also does engines and other systems checks and warnings.

In addition, depending on which mode you choose, it will do a systems check on the engine and other bits, and throw up any warning signals as required.

Must mention one very useful gizmo here ... you can set any speed limit that’s appropriate simply by pressing a button at that speed. Then, during the journey (it resets to no setting when the engine is switched off) it will give a (single) audio warning and an ongoing visual one when you go over the set speed by 10%. It might drive some people mad, but with a penalty points system on the way in here, it could be very useful indeed in preventing unplanned speeding. and thus unplanned points.

Right. To the real meat of this new A4. And that’s that it is, unlike its predecessor, a real driver’s car.

This becomes evident from the moment you light the engine. A new 20-valve four-cylinder unit, it has a real nice tone that encourages you to let it lift the revs.

The smart gearshift encourages use, as neat and precise as any maker could be proud to have in their car.

And somehow they’ve given this version a ride and handling package that is right on for making the most of the engine and gearbox. In addition to a series of electronic bits, from ABS to traction control, the suspension is much more taut than in the predecessor, and manages well both motorway and backroad conditions.

Pothole surfaces showed up no evidence of build problems, which would have surprised me if they HAD occurred.

The 0-100kph sprint is under nine seconds, though the 130bhp output of this engine is not particularly high. It just has the pulling power where it works best.

For all its fun performance, the A4 has a really good range, in excess of 460 miles from a tankfull, I found.

I’ve driven briefly the 2.5-litre turbodiesel version and will give a full report on that when I’ve had some more extended time with it.

But I grew to like this new A4 very much. And I rather suspect that if I was in the bracket which allowed me a C-Class Merc or a 3-series BMW, I’d be thinking twice before I went for the traditional executive badges.

And I’ve a funny feeling I’d not be the only one. Expect to see quite a few of these quiet-looking but very excellent machines on our roads.