12-month test: Audi A4 1,4T FSI S tronic Sport
We spent 12 months with an entry-level version of Audi’s perennial front-runner in the compact-executive stakes
IT’S hard not to admire Audi’s achievements. The German automaker dragged itself from being a fringe player in the premium sector in the mid-1980s to being a genuine mainstream contender at the turn of the century. This is an enviable accomplishment in a tough arena that many other brands in our market – Jaguar, Lexus and Infiniti spring to mind – have unsuccessfully tried to breach. The A4 has played a large part in Audi’s achievements and remains the brand’s bestselling product both in South Africa and worldwide, despite the company boasting a healthy portfolio of SUV and crossover models. Last year alone, Audi sold more than 2 700 new A4s locally, confirming it as a successful alternative to the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-benz C-class.
In early 2016, the German carmaker replaced the B8 A4 model with the B9 and Audi South Africa agreed it would make a welcome addition to our long-term test fleet. Shortly after the local launch, we took delivery of the entry-level derivative in Sport trim and I nabbed the key fob to the silver A4.
Despite being the opening salvo of the line-up, the 1,4T FSI doesn’t come across as such. There are no distinguishable design cues to set it apart from more expensive A4s, not even a badge on the rump to indicate its engine size and subsequent position in the pecking order. Its outward appearance was enhanced by the addition of the Sport exterior package which included, among other items, 18inch five-spoke alloys shod with low-profile tyres that created the impression of it being a bit further up that price position than it really is. Although it is an all-new model, the A4 hardly garners appreciative glances, which is an unfortunate side effect of Audi’s evolutionary, rather than revolu-
tionary, design strategy.
As with most Audis, the interior treatment is classleading. The choice of materials, perceived build quality and impressive optional Virtual Cockpit digital-instrument cluster are all top notch and made the A4’s cabin a great place to spend long periods of time. The Virtual Cockpit brings important information into the driver’s eye line, allowing them to choose exactly what data (radio, trip computer, satellite navigation or telephone) to display at any given time. There’s almost full functionality from your fingertips via the steering wheel-mounted buttons. Although it is a pricey optional extra (a total of R34 700, including sat-nav and the MMI touch controller), Virtual Cockpit is a great addition to the cabin, and learning the placement of vital controls and usage of the systems was intuitive and required little in the way of instruction. If I had one criticism, I wish Audi had seen fit to make the facia-mounted screen retractable.
As a place in which to spend countless hours on the road, few interiors rival the A4’s. The cabin is well insulated from the engine bay, so there is little in the way of noise intrusion from the motor, and wind noise is kept to a mini- mum. On rougher tar, some road roar from the low-profile rubber does enter the cabin, however.
While there is an abundance of space in the rear, those seats were hardly used during my tenure. With no kids or pets in my household, the rear bench is almost as new as the day I received the car. I did, however, use the capacious boot to carry my mountain bike as well as tools for my racecar to and from Killarney Raceway on a regular basis, and on one occasion a full set of semi-slicks on the rear bench (covered with a carpet).
With my speed cravings satiated on the racetrack, and considering the Audi’s force-fed 1,4-litre motor develops just 110 kw and 250 N.m, I rarely drove the A4 spiritedly. Peak torque is delivered from little over idle, so there is always plenty of shove on tap when required round town, but out on the open road, the engine was
found a little lacking. High-speed overtaking required a foot-flat approach, at which point the engine note would turn a bit rough and I needed to ensure I had enough space to pass.
The 1,4-litre is the only A4 derivative you can have in automatic or manual guises, and this one had Audi’s S tronic transmission. Traditionally, this dualclutch option is the best in class, but initially there were some question marks regarding this A4’s unit. After driving it, a few of my colleagues noted a harsh clutch engagement and tardy downshifts. During my time, I had learnt to live with these characteristics but, after having driven another VW Group test car with a similar powertrain, it found it had a much crisper action and was keener to downshift, too. I commented on the discrepancy in an earlier longterm update and, shortly after, a representative from Audi called to book the car in for a software update. On its return, there was a notable difference, particularly on downshifts, but the operation still wasn’t as snappy on pull-aways.
Where this A4 was happiest was on the open road. The ride quality, ease of use thanks to the auto ’box and surfeit of space were particularly evident earlier this year when I took a roundabout trip to Stanford for a wedding.
The A4’s long-legged abilities also meant that the key was often nicked from the CAR safe when I was away on assignment. Peter Palm made his annual visit to Cape Agulhas in the Audi and Wilhelm Lutjeharms used the A4 for a weekend getaway to Mcgregor with his family. Both were complimentary of the car’s cruising ability and easy-going nature on tar. On the rare occasion that I ventured off sealed roads and onto gravel tracks, it was quickly evident that the A4 was not happy on rougher surfaces and the ride quality deteriorated (no doubt a product of the firmer suspension setup that’s standard on the Sport trim line).
While Audi quotes a combined fuel-consumption figure of 5,1 L/100 km, I did not even get close to that during my 12 months; an average of 8,5 L/100 km was my return. That said, for a car of this size which spent the bulk of its life commuting to and from the office, that’s still an impressive figure and, of the petrol-powered vehicles in our fleet, the A4 was among the most frugal.
A few months before the A4 was due to go back, the onboard computer indicated that a service was due. I booked the car in at Audi Centre Claremont for its annual check-up. After an oil change and a day spent in the workshop, my car was given a clean bill of health by the friendly, efficient staff. It’s an undertaking that didn’t trouble my wallet, as the A4 comes standard with a maintenance contract.
TEST SUMMARY
When researching second-hand values for this wrap-up piece, I came across several cars similar to mine in colour and specification, indicating that Sport trim and S tronic transmissions are favoured options. Interestingly, some of those second-hand options were selling for roughly the same price they sold for brandnew, and it seems that Audi A4s are holding their values at least as well as 3 Series and C-classes.
After a year of use, I found very little to criticise in the A4 1,4T FSI and it’s a car I came to respect. It isn’t the most exciting vehicle to drive or live with but, if you’re looking at this particular segment, then driving excitement might not be a priority. If, however, a comfortable compactexecutive sedan is what you’re after, an A4 should be prominent on your shopping list.
The A4’s long-legged abilities meant the key was often nicked from the CAR safe