A smooth blaze of brilliance
With some of its beauty rooted in functionality, model set to take on rivals in luxury sedan segment
VENICE, ITALY— Quiet. That’s the first and last impression of the all-new 2016 Audi A4, which will be on sale in Canada next spring.
Roomier, better-driving, better-equipped and more efficient — it’s no wonder Audi believes the A4 can take on the German, Japanese and American con- tenders in the very tough entry-luxury sedan segment. The car It’s a handsome piece, the A4, if not breathtakingly so.
Some of its beauty is in its functionality. The drag co-efficient of 0.23 is among the best in the industry and contributes to interior silence.
The body is 20-30 mm larger in several places, but the A4 still sheds about 120 kilograms of weight for better everything: ride, handling, braking, acceleration and efficiency.
In Canada, we will only get two of seven engines offered to the global market; both will be 2.0-litre four-cylinder motors.
The gasoline unit generates 252 horsepower and 272 lb-ft of torque, while the diesel shoves out190 horses and 295 lb-ft.
And of course, the diesel consumes about 20 per cent less fuel. That engine comes with urea injection, so fear not for NOx emissions.
At launch, all our A4s will be equipped with Quattro four-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual clutch S-Tronic transmission. Front-wheel drive and a manual transmission will join the party later on. Interior Audi has long led the world in interior design and quality.
If competitors are catching up a little, the A4 still ranks among the best.
Audi’s Multi-Media Interface (MMI) was also one of the best multi-purpose control systems for climate, audio, phone, navigation, etc. The completely new MMI system in the A4 takes some getting used to, but less so than for most such systems. The drive Venice? For a car preview? Did they want to prove the car was waterproof?
No. It was the combination of Autostrada and twisty mountain roads north of the city that appealed.
The car impressed with satisfying performance, an excellent ride and nimble handling, which came in particularly handy on a very narrow road when an oncoming local was taking his half of the road out of the middle. The DSG transmission was as seamless as they get, shift smoothly and precisely on its own, perhaps a shade slower than I might have wished when doing it via the steering wheel shift paddles.
We will get an S4 sedan, with even more power and sharper handling, later in the model cycle.
Meanwhile — at least by spring 2016 — you will have a handsome, comfortable, sporting, quick and fuel-efficient regular A4 to tempt you.
And I’m quite sure it is waterproof. Freelance writer Jim Kenzie is a regular contributor to Toronto Star Wheels. For this story, his travel and other expenses were paid by the manufacturer. To reach him, email wheels@thestar.ca and put his name in the subject line.