First impressions

In premium estate car sector Audi is the king of all brands. Its A4 covers 40% of its own market. Its a slick looking model and quite different from its previous model. It has its rear hatchback same as Audi A6. All work, family and sports demands are satisfied by its interior and features.

A huge amount of technology is used as Audi itself is famous for technology usage. To deliver class leading power and economy the engine includes direct injection, forced aspiration and all engineering innovations. To facilitate the passengers and drivers there are all types of electric aids like blind spot warning systems, parking assistant, adjustable driver settings and many more.

Performance

Five different engines have been launched – 1.8 TFSI & 3.2 FSI petrol and 2.0, 2.7 and 3.0 TDi diesel.

Instead of muscular and rough pump- duse previous model, common four cylinder has linear power delivery.

Ride and handling

All variants has different handling characteristics. The front wheel drive is stubborn with its front tyres working hard at relatively low speeds and becoming more unsettled on its standard suspension. But in next front wheel drive variant this was solved and tweaked throttle and steering response and the chasis was much more controlled but comfort was compromised.

Later on convincing balance was displayed finally by its S line version riding 30mm lower. Though a nice idea but in practise the artificial feel and inconsistent weighting only shows the shortcomings in some of chasis configurations. BMW can easily win on this.

Interior

The low seating position and the driver oriented console gives a sporty feel. The A4 tries hard to please its occupants with a 29mm of legroom in rear seats. Bottle holder etc. are nicely fitted all over the places. And in the boot there is a neat reversible flooring with rubberised coating. Stuff are stopped from flying by its optional load restraints.

You get an optional 505-watt Bang & Olufsen system or a standard fit Concert stereo which is pleasingly powerful and offers an excellent iPod interface via the 6.5-inch colour screen and MMI controller. The standard fit automated handbrake is more annoying than convenient. The electronic starter does not start the car if you don’t do things in the right order.

Economy and safety

The 3.2 V6 petrol scrapes in with decent emissions of just 216g/km. Safety is also for sure with the usual airbags and electronic safety nets, plus optional Audi side assist blind spot warning and Audi lane assist that triggers vibrations in the steering wheel if drift out of your lane.