COOLER THAN IT LOOKS
Audi gets wild with 2018 A4
FRANKFURT, GERMANY Take the Audi A4 — a good ride in its own right — crank up the heat, and you have the 2018 S4 sedan.
While its style mimics that of its mortal A4 counterpart, the S4 has a more aggressive face, sidesill extensions, a discreet spoiler and quad tailpipes. However, beneath the skin, the S4 has a delightfully dynamic personality.
At its heart is a new directinjection turbocharged V6. It twists out 354 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque at just 1,350 rpm. With peak torque showing up at just 650 rpm off idle means there is no turbo lag. Tromp the gas and the engine breathes deeply and warps forth with extreme alacrity.
It is a sweet piece of engineering that delivers power over a rewardingly broad range — complete with a purposeful exhaust tone — its burbling blat is music.
The engine is teamed with an eight-speed automatic transmission, (there’s no manual). The first five gears concentrate on performance, with the top three delivering fuel efficiency. The combination delivers a run from rest to 100 km/h in just 4.7 seconds. Mercifully, the S4’s brakes haul the car down from speed without fade. It sips fuel at an average of 7.3 L/100 km, based on the European test cycle.
Power is relayed to the road through Audi’s quattro all-wheeldrive system. Under normal driving conditions it sends 40 per cent of the power to the front wheels and 60 per cent to the rear, a rear-biased setup that gives the S4 a sportier feel. If a wheel does slip, the system is capable of sending as much as 85 per cent to the front or up to 70 per cent to the rear.
On the drive route the system remained invisible. Even when pushed to the max, understeer was benign. The brake-based torque vectoring helps things by braking the inside wheels and sending more power to the outer wheels, which turns the car into a corner with more authority.
Audi’s optional sport differential has two gears that adjust the distribution of torque between the rear wheels, for buttoneddown handling on hard and fast corners.
The S4 also includes a new five-link suspension front and rear. The optional Magnetic Ride system continuously adapts the suspension to the prevailing conditions, which dials out practically all unwanted body motion. Yes, the setup was taut, but without feeling harsh. This and the steering underscore the sportier thrust of the S4.
The drive select system offers five modes — Efficient, Comfort, Auto, Dynamic and Individual — each of which alters the throttle, transmission and steering, as well as the sport differential and adaptive dampers (when equipped). Frankly, pick Auto and leave it alone; on the drive, it had the uncanny knack of getting everything into the right mode. The driver can also tweak the stability nanny. It can be turned off partially, which allows the car to drift before it clamps down, or off altogether. That’s the fun mode!
The tester’s cabin was all business, but with a rare flair. The materials are top notch, as is the driving position and the support delivered by the optional wingback, Nappa leather-wrapped sport bucket seats. Even the central Multi-Media Interface is easier to use than most.
The optional “virtual” cockpit and its 12.3-inch screen is fully customizable with three basic setups. In any mode, the information is shown in a simple and clear format. For most of the drive I had it in Sport.
While some will argue Audi missed a golden opportunity to push the S4’s style further, it is, nonetheless, a wild ride. It’s very quick, dynamically sorted and it has a slick cabin, a combination spelling success.
The 2018 Audi S4 will arrive at a dealer near you in January 2017. Pricing and specifications will be announced closer to launch.