Tycoon

Much improved, as it needs to be.

Ask most folks on the street what Audi is all about, and you probably won’t get the same answer twice. Archrivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz enjoy clearly defined identities, while Audi suffers from a distinct lack thereof. Too bad, since behind the four interlocked rings stands a 100-year-old company with an illustrious racing program and a pool of extraordinarily talented engineers and designers.

Audi has plans—big plans—boldly proclaiming it will outsell Lexus, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz by 2015. But Audi’s visions of world domination will be clouds in its coffee unless it nails the launch of the all-new version of the sedan that has been the cornerstone of its product line since 1997: the compact A4. Overstating the A4’s role in the establishment of Audi’s hegemony throughout the world would be impossible.

Subtle, Yet Effective Restyle

Imagery doesn’t do justice to the new A4. At first blush it appears to have been shorted by the design team, which certainly outdid itself on the A4’s luscious platform-mate, the A5/S5 coupe, but bestowed much less of that car’s swoopy curvaceousness upon the four-door version. On the road, however, the A4 has infinitely more presence, and not just because it’s 4.6 inches longer and two inches wider than before. To help optimize weight distribution and thereby neutralize the A4’s notoriously pushy handling, the engine/transmission layout has been smartly reengineered, allowing the front axle to be moved forward some 6.1 inches. This in turn created a shorter front overhang; a longer, sexier hood; and a more aggressive road stance.

Also appreciable in the flesh are several subtle details such as an upswept lower body contour, tastefully swollen fenders, and ribs running from the headlamps to the mirrors. And while various iterations of the A4’s grille, arching window line, and sculpted lighting elements front and rear are found throughout the Audi range, the LED eyeliner should still be a novelty by the time the A4 arrives in the U.S. next August as an ’09 model.



Splendid Interior, of Course

We have very few complaints about the current A4’s interior, but the new model’s environment takes a huge step forward. Even without the sunroof, the space feels open and airy. And though most of the 6.2-inch wheelbase stretch went into the engine bay, the cabin has added more than an inch of additional rear legroom compared with the ’08 A4.

The dash, center stack, and armrest architecture are not new to Audi, but are new to the A4. Specifically, the wider interior allowed the MMI controller to be relocated from the dash to between the seats, as in family members A8, A6, and Q7. Also like its pricier siblings, the A4 will offer many extras, including cooled seats, a backup cam, and a Bang & Olufsen sound system, this time with 14 speakers and noise compensation, but unfortunately no pop-up dashboard tweeters like those found in the S8.

More upgrades come in fresh new color and material combos, and a truly huge (i.e. flat, tall, and deep) trunk. Clear attention was paid to the haptic quality of the A4’s various buttons, switches, and other ditties that one must twist, poke, or pull. One example: when lowering the windows, the current model’s switches are unremarkable tabs that utter a thin metallic click when actuated—far from offensive, equally far from premium; the ’09 model’s counterparts are ergonomically contoured, pleasant to the touch and operate silently but with a convincing heft.

Personalization Taken to New Heights

The A4 brings an unprecedented element of personalization to Audi, and perhaps the industry. Not only can the car—like most cars in this segment—recall radio presets, exterior mirror position, as well as interior/exterior lighting preferences upon approach and egress, but programmability now extends to many more ancillaries, such as deactivating the auto-up feature on the rear windows or turning down the intensity of the steering wheel warning vibes when the new lane-monitoring option thinks you’re veering. Add to it adjustable radar-aided cruise control and blind-spot assistance, and we can’t help but wonder how many A6 intenders will find the A4 just as appealing on account of its high feature content, nearly identical interior, and lower price.



Capable Gas Engines

Five engines—two gas and three diesels—have thus far been officially announced for most international markets, but of those, only the most powerful gas engine will cross the pond to the U.S. And a honey of a motor it is, too: Audi’s 3.2-liter V-6 with direct injection (FSI), capable of an impressive 265 horsepower and 243 lb-ft of torque. It will be mated to either manual or automatic transmissions, both with six forward speeds.

Audi claims that the A4 3.2 is capable of a 0-to-62-mph time of 6.2 seconds with the stick, and though that’s nowhere near the 4.8 seconds we achieved in a BMW 335i sedan we tested, its on par with the segment for the most part. When we get our hands on the A4 again (on our turf and with test equipment), we’ll be able to tell you if Audi is being conservative or optimistic. From the seat of our pants on our preview drive in Sardinia, we’d say they’re more or less accurate.

Yet to be officially announced, is the updated version of the A4’s base engine, the zippy gasoline-powered four-banger in the current A4 2.0T, which is expected to deliver considerably more horsepower and torque than that car’s 200 horsepower and 207 lb-ft of torque. Also TBD is the inevitable S4, which will certainly be shown by next fall, though its on-sale date will likely trail the A4’s by at least six months. Further off is a new version of the delectable RS 4 ubersedan.

Compelling Diesel Option to Come

Following the 3.2 to market—and not by much, we think—is the best of the A4’s available diesel engines, which happens to be the same one that will make its U.S. debut in 2008 in the Q7 luxo-ute: the 3.0-liter six-cylinder, which generates 240 horsepower and a kickin’ 369 lb-ft of torque between 1500 and 3000 rpm. In the A4, it will come mated only to Quattro all-wheel drive and, at first, a six-speed manual transmission. And just because you’re an enthusiast, don’t ignore this engine option; in addition to the fuel economy benefits expected of a diesel, this is a particularly compelling choice not only on account of its 6.1-second 0-to-62-mph sprint, but for its smooth turbocharged midrange shove. On Sardinia’s winding two-laners, which reminded us more than a little of southern California’s gloriously banked asphalt strips, we just left the car in third with rarely any need to shift. Trust us: the diesel is fun.

Personalized Dynamics

The element of personalization also extends to the vehicle’s dynamics, which are generally so improved that we are really quite curious to see just where it fits within the competitive set. Optional on the A4 is “Individual Drive,” a set of three dynamic attributes that can be tailored to the driver’s liking. Most interesting among these selectable features is “dynamic steering,” which essentially is Audi’s take on BMW’s Active Steering. Ugh, right? Wrong. In the A4, not only is dynamic steering less conspicuous, it’s also variable: through MMI (coincidentally, another system that Audi arguably does better than BMW), the driver can select the level of ratio variance the system takes on. It also works with the stability control system to ensure optimal control, lightly countersteering on patchy surfaces, for example, to maintain straight-line stability.

The other two selectable attributes are engine/transmission responsiveness and shock absorber compliance. Once the driver has selected his or her favorite within each category, those settings can be saved and revisited by pressing the “Individual” button.

That said, the handling was innately clean enough even in “comfort” mode that tightening things up is more or less unnecessary. Enthusiasts like us will find the “dynamic” setting preferable, but it’s a hair-splitting difference, really. Moreover, even the base cars—those without the Individual Drive, that is—have precise, nicely weighted steering and firm, tidy ride qualities that are perfectly agreeable.

No Price Increase

Audi estimates that the new A4 will cost roughly the same as the 2008 model, or about $30,000 for a front-drive 2.0-liter turbo and $39,000 for an all-wheel-drive V-6. Considering just how much more car—literally and figuratively—the A4 represents over the current model, we can’t help but think that this is an enticing strategy.

Audi’s Big Dreams

“Ve vant to become ze most successful premium automobile brand in ze world by 2015.” Those are Audi’s exact words (the phonetic spelling, admittedly, is ours). By “successful,” Audi estimates a lofty 1.5 million units per year worldwide, no small feat for a brand that has had trouble hitting a million.

To do that, Audi’s product line will expand, mostly at the top and bottom ends, to a dizzying 40 to 45 models, up from 32 today. Up top, a Mercedes-Benz CLS-like A7 four-door coupe has just been confirmed, and more variants of the R8 supercar are certain to appear shortly. At the entry level, the A4’s growth spurt leaves even more room in the lineup for a Mini Cooper-sized product based on the just-revealed A1 concept. We should also see the compact Q5 SUV by the end of 2008, with the even smaller Q3 shortly thereafter.

The tougher—but absolutely crucial—challenge in Audi’s plan involves closing the image gap that persists between itself and the premium class leaders, which is merely a matter of marketing. By most accounts, Audis are engineered, assembled, and appointed about as well as (and often better than) their countrymen. And the 2009 A4 is no exception.
Certainly, if the rest of Audi’s $10 billion product blitz is as nicely executed as the A4, we’d say Mercedes and BMW had better check their mirrors.



Source: First Drive: 2009 Audi A4 - Previews - Car and Driver November 2007