Car Reviews > Audi > A4 > Audi A4 facelift Car Review
Prices: From £26,555
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder
Gearbox: 6-speed manual, front-wheel drive Power: 134 bhp
0-62 mph: 9.3 seconds
Top Speed: 134 miles per hour
Economy: 65.7 miles per gallon
Emissions: 112g per kilometre
Equipment: Cruise control, 17-inch alloy wheels, electric windows, fatigue detection, climate control
The best selling A4 gets a revamp, complete with more engines that are efficient and a new appearance
Appearance, quality, CO2 emissions and technology are all important in the fiercely contested segment of which the Audi A4 is a part. With BMW unveiling an all new 3 Series and Mercedes giving the C-Class a facelift, Audi clearly had to take action, and so it has, with its more efficient and stylish new A4.
While its new appearance may not be revolutionary, the company has successfully modernised the look of the A4. The most striking changes are those that have been made to the front of the vehicle, with standout features including redesigned headlights, flattened fog lights and more angular air vents.
When it comes to the interior of the vehicle, the firm has managed to make it even more impressive than it already was. A couple of chrome strips and extra black gloss trim mean that it feels even classier than ever, while there are less switches to control the audio and climate systems, which means that it is much more user friendly. For example, the volume control now moves left and right in order to enable drivers to be able to skip tracks rather than have to operate two further buttons to do so.
The engine line-up across the board has also been subjected to tweaks in order to boost power and improve CO2 emissions. The cleanest engine, the 2.0-litre TDI which comes with a bhp rating of 134, used to give off CO2 emissions of 119g per kilometre, but that figure has now been slashed to as little as 112g per kilometre. In comparison to the class-leading BMW 316d ED, that is only 3g per kilometre more. Fuel economy has also been boosted to 65.7 miles per gallon.
When on the move, the engine is punchy and even feels somewhat smoother than has previously been the case due to the updated flywheel that is able to reduce vibrations when travelling at low revs. It takes 9.3 seconds to go from 0-62 miles per hour, which is the same as with the old model, but still fast enough for everyday driving. A specialty here is motorway driving, with a hushed engine note and more than enough torque for the purposes of overtaking.
The suspension has also been improved markedly, receiving fine-tuning in order to deliver both better ride comfort and handling. The effect is minor admittedly, but with the Audi Drive System and 17-inch wheels fitted to the test vehicle, there was certainly nothing in the ride to complain about.
The system enables drivers to tweak the accelerator response, dampers and steering, with choices going from Comfort and Dynamic as well as, for the very first time, an Efficiency mode. When set to Dynamic, the precise, weighty steering enables the driver to thread the vehicle through tight bends even when travelling at very high speeds, and with plenty of grips and little in the way of body roll, confidence remains high at all times.
The only problem and it is an issue with many Audi vehicles, not just this one, is that it sometimes seems almost too capable, with the driver often feeling a little disconnected from the driving experience.
by Autoweb