Audi A4 40TFSI S tronic
Audi updates its A4 sedan in an attempt to ward off the ever-increasing crossover threat
Price: R726 500 0-100 km/h: 7,66 seconds Top speed: 241 km/h Power: 140 kw Torque: 320 N.m CAR fuel index: 7,56 L/100 km CO2: 143 g/km
Audi says its A4 represents the very “core of the brand”. The past few decades’ sales figures certainly endorse such a claim, with the midsize sedan earning the title of Ingolstadt’s long-time top seller, having arrived on the scene back in 1994 as the successor to the Audi 80. In short, the A4 is broadly regarded as the German firm’s bread-and-butter nameplate.
Superb car. Be careful with those options, though
However, the global automotive landscape looks nothing like it did nearly three decades ago. Sales of executive sedans have nosedived, with SUVS and crossovers elbowing their way to the front of a throng of contenders jostling for the attention of well-heeled buyers, standing tall as their more traditional saloon counterparts fade into the background.
In recent times, the high-riding Q5 has graduated to the role of Audi’s strongest global seller annually, while the Q3 range (expanded to include the coupéstyled Sportback variant you’ve just read about in the previous test) looks poised to leave the A4 in its wake. Here in South Africa, meanwhile, buyers in the market for a three-box saloon with four rings affixed to its snout seem to
A R190 000 price increase in three years is hard to ignore prefer the somewhat more affordable A3 Sedan.
Still, executive sedan buyers are out there, albeit far fewer than in years gone by. So, in a bid to at least retain its slice of a shrinking pie, the VW Group subsidiary has handed its B9generation saloon a mid-cycle refresh. The facelift brings a raft of fairly subtle exterior design changes, though updates such as
the broader grille, sharper creases pressed into the flanks and more distinctive LED headlamps – including the R9 050 optional Matrix setup fitted to this example – do lend top-spec models a mite more visual vigour.
The no-cost Turbo Blue paintwork you see here is an interesting alternative to the usual slew of more conservative hues. Opt for the R10 100 black styling package and the A4’s exterior demeanour is altered with the adoption of a dark finish for the side-mirror caps, grille surround and bumper trim.
The most significant revisions, however, have been reserved for the cabin, which abandons the rotary controller in favour of a 10,1-inch touchscreen (up from the pre-facelift model’s 8,3-inch display). While the removal of the console-mounted dial frees up useful storage space ahead of the gear lever, more than one tester lamented the shift to a touchscreen, pointing out how tricky such systems are to use on the move. Although the climate system thankfully retains its physical buttons and dials. Audi’s old click wheel was a wonderfully intuitive thing, after all.
Still, the updated infotainment system’s graphics are pin-sharp, the smartphone-like menus logically laid out and the latest version of Audi’s highly configurable 12,3-inch virtual cockpit – upgradable to the plus version for an additional R5 300 – remains class leading. Perceived quality throughout the cabin, meanwhile, is pleasingly high.
The updated A4 introduces Audi Connect to the local range, offering all manner of useful online functions via an embedded SIM. With the myaudi application downloaded to a smartphone and the right options box ticked, the driver has access to real-time vehicle information (such as fuel level and range) and can remotely lock or unlock the car. Another nifty feature is the system that alerts the user if the vehicle leaves a predetermined virtual geographic boundary.
On paper, the turbocharged 2,0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine driving the front axle appears unchanged – offering the same 140 kw and 320 N.m as before – but Audi has added 12 V mild-hybrid technology in a bid to further improve fuel economy. There’s a touch of lag below
2 000 r/min and the dual-clutch transmission occasionally feels lethargic but the shifts are smooth and the overall experience suitably refined.
Sports suspension ships standard on S line models and this particular unit furthermore upsizes to 19-inch Audi Sport alloys (R17 300), resulting in a firmer ride than our testers anticipated. Still, this improves a touch as speed increases; interestingly, though, the options list for this model does not include adaptive dampers.
The A4 should be lauded for its braking ability; in our punishing 10-stop procedure, it was snapping at the heels of the Porsche 911 Turbo S (January 2021) as one of the fastest decelerating vehicles we’ve yet tested.
TEST SUMMARY
As the buying public continues its mass migration towards crossovers, it could be argued the A4 is no longer Audi’s mainstay model. But for those buyers not spellbound by lofty seating positions and raised suspensions, the refreshed A4 endures as an eminently well-sorted alternative.
While it may not be the most memorable contender in its class, the Audi is satisfying to drive (though not as dynamically talented as BMW’S rear-driven 3 Series), delivers refinement in spades and boasts a high-quality cabin now crammed with fresh connectivity features.