LORD OF THE RINGS
It’s punchy, it’s perky, it’s the Audi A4
I had forgotten how blissful it is to drive a really perky Audi, so I was in seventh heaven driving on the roads around Loch Lomond.
It is not so long ago since I drove the R8 V10 Plus and that was thrilling – particularly in wet and wild conditions when I tested it.
The A4 saloon is a car within the grasp of many. It’s a company car driven by lots of businessmen and women across the country and is a delight.
The A4 is one of Audi’s best- selling models and within the range is the ever-popular 2-litre diesel, which is frugal and punchy at the same time.
From the moment you start it up, it is impressively responsive, ref ined and positive. Then there is the sheer joy of overtaking and knowing you won’t have that moment when you wonder if you’ll make it.
The new A4 is a little bigger than its predecessor. It’s built on a totally new platform yet lighter by up to 120kg – meaning more power and handling and even better economy.
It looks as good as it has always done with its deep grille sporting the quattro rings, front air intakes and lovely classic profile with the shark’s fin on the roof. The rear has the A4’s double tailpipe and strobing indicators.
The model I was driving was finished in the S Line trim. This package gives you sports seats in high-quality finishes. Mine had black cloth with leather and the S Line logo on the headrests.
Other touches include brushed aluminium or piano-black gloss on the interior, stainless steel sporty pedals, a sport steering wheel, logos on the sills and an S emblem on the front wings.
There is plenty of room front and rear and since this is an Audi, there is a whole host of systems and features onboard.
The analogue dials in the instrument cluster behind the steering wheel can be replaced with a digital display akin to the one found in the R8 and the centre of the command system is the 8.3-in screen controlled by a dial at your fingertips.
The screen sits above the centre console and provides all the information and entertainment for the car including sat nav, Bluetooth, radio and access to the car’s connectivity. My model also sported the Head Up Display, which I love.
For convenience, your smartphone can be charged wirelessly – one of the most useful pieces of kit yet – and there are many advanced driver systems that can be added.
Foremost among them is probably the predictive efficiency assistant, which is part of the Tour assistance package drivers can opt for. This works in conjunction with the adaptive cruise control, the nav system and the traffic sign recognition feature.
The system works almost ahead of the driver, taking in information about the road geography – curves and hills, for example – as well as traffic, roundabouts, road junctions and keeping the motorist informed about changes that need to be made to the speed. If a speed is pre-selected, it will adjust it accordingly.
This way, the system can reduce fuel consumption on country roads by up to 10 per cent.
The A4 is a very intelligent car but its greatest qualities are the feel of its drive, the performance from the engine and the feelgood factor it creates in the driver.