Road and Track - Driving Impression: 2009 Audi A4 (short)

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After driving Audi's new 2009 A4 on some wonderfully twisty roads in Sardinia, Italy, I was thoroughly impressed with the improvements that Audi managed to squeeze out of an already stellar design. The first A4s to arrive on U.S. shores will be 3.2-liter FSI V-6s and will be offered only with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Peak horsepower for the direct-injected V-6 increases 10 bhp for a total of 265 bhp, while the peak torque remains at 243 lb.-ft. but now occurs within a range from 3000–5000 rpm. The addition of AVS or Audi Valve-lift System is solely responsible for this change in power while fuel efficiency also is said to go up by about 12 percent.

The revamped 6-speed automatic transmission shifts quicker and can be manipulated via steering wheel-mounted paddles as the new asymmetric Quattro all-wheel-drive system favors rear-wheel torque, providing sportier dynamics than before. Audi Drive Select allows the driver to toggle between multiple settings ranging from soft to aggressive in suspension damping, engine and transmission characteristics, and steering response and resistance. This allows for a car that's extremely maneuverable in a parking lot yet remarkably stable at Autobahn speeds. To learn more about the all-new 2009 Audi A4, make sure you check out the 2008 February issue of Road & Track.

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