Audi’s swiftly smooth S4
Want a new- generation RS4? Sorry, you’ll have to wait another two years. Until then, the new S4 is the fastest of the range. By Damien O’Carroll.
To say that the S4 has been a successful model for Audi in New Zealand would be something of an understatement. More than 1400 S4s (including the related S5 coupe, cabrio and Sportback models) have been sold locally since 2002.
This makes it a pretty important model, particularly now that a new RS4 is not due for another few years. The S4 is therefore the biggest, baddest A4 variant. For now.
But here’s the interesting wrinkle in the S4 story: this time around it has an all-new 3-litre V6 turbo engine (as opposed to a supercharged V6 that the last S4 had) with more power and torque than the old car, meaning it will whip from a standing start to the legal speed limit in a fairly swift 4.7 seconds. That’s 0.3 seconds faster than the old car, which happens to be the exact same time as the last RS4.
Like any Audi that starts with an ‘‘S’’, the S4 isn’t exactly entry level and comes fully-loaded with goodies. The sedan version starts the range at $116,400, while the ever-popular Avant (wagon in non-Audi-speak) lands at $119,900.
The all-new 3-litre petrol V6 turbo produces 260kW of power and 500Nm of torque (up 15kW and 60Nm over the old car) and is hooked up to an eight-speed transmission driving all four wheels via Audi’s quattro AWD system.
Weighing 14kg less than the previous supercharged V6, the engine is laid out in a ‘hot-V’ configuration, meaning that the turbo is located in the middle of the cylinder banks for better control over heat loss, better turbo response and better packaging.
Along with the 4.7 second 0-100kmh time, Audi also claims Combined fuel consumption of 7.4 litres per 100km for the S4.
The quattro AWD system packs a purely mechanical centre differential and is capable of redistributing up to 70 per cent of torque to the front wheels and 85 per cent to the rear as needed, with the standard distribution of 40/60 front to rear.
Like all S cars, the S4 is packed full of standard equipment with both the sedan and Avant coming standard with LED headlights, tail-lights and daytime running lights, 19-inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery, S sports seats, triple zone climate control, Audi’s brilliant Virtual Cockpit 12-inch screen that replaces traditional instruments, a head-up display, adaptive damping control, privacy glass, adaptive cruise control, lane assist/side assist, park assist, front and rear parking sensors, a 360-degree reversing camera, rear cross traffic alert and an electric tailgate on the Avant.
The new turbo engine is a seriously smooth and refined unit, but superbly powerful with it. The torque is instantly accessible virtually everywhere in the rev range and it belts out of corners like a thing possessed.
The eight-speed auto is fantastically quick and smooth, with shifts matching the best of dual clutch transmissions for speed.
The S4 feels utterly planted and unassailably confident on any road surface, simply gripping the road like a scared baby monkey riding a pig and getting on with the business of Going Very Fast Indeed.
The interior is of a typically Audi high standard of fit and finish, as well as being fantastically comfortable with it. High speed cruising in absolute comfort is clearly the S4’s strong point, and we have to say it does it exceptionally well.
However, there is often a ‘but’ and here it is – like a lot of Audis there is simply no real connection to the driver. The steering is distant and uncommunicative, and while inputs are swiftly translated into movement, there is little in the way of feedback. You may as well be playing a video game.
The engine noise is enthusiastic, but, well... odd. Instead of, say, a BMW inline six’s throaty, belligerent roar, the S4 emits kind of a trumpet-like fart noise, with a very distant and very contrived sounding volley of pops on the overrun. It’s not terrible, but it’s all a bit stage-managed for my tastes. However, the S4 is everything an S car should be – very fast, very polished, beautifully finished, highly equipped and boasting fantastic quattro-assisted handling.
It’s also something that S cars quite often are – somewhat uninvolving and distant.
As a high-performance luxury sedan, the S4 is a hard package to go past. It is a stunningly well made car with a powerful, refined engine and exceptional handling, but as a true enthusiast’s car, it just leaves you a bit cold.
It may well be the perfect performance sedan in a coldly technical sense. But a little imperfection – a little mongrel – is usually more fun.