Car: Audi A4 2.0 TDI range
Prices: £22,150-£29,675 – on the road
Insurance Group: [2.0 TDI 143PS] 12
Emissions: 120-162g/km
Performance: [2.0 TDI 143PS] 0-62mph 9.4s / Max Speed 130mph
Fuel Consumption: [2.0 TDI 143PS] (combined) 55.4mpg
Safety: Twin front, window & side airbags, ESP, ABS, traction control
Dimensions: [Avant] Length/Width/Heightmm 4703/2006/1436
TDI WANT ONE
Our Rating: 7.4 / 10
The flagship four cylinder diesel engine in Audi’s A4 features common-rail injection technology these days. Matt Low reports
Audi’s A4 2.0 TDI is a highly accomplished car with a driving experience well balanced between comfort and sportiness and a common-rail diesel engine producing performance and economy in generous quantities. Some will hanker after a more thrilling drive but for the average compact executive customer, the A4 will be near the mark.
The importance that Audi places on its A4 range can not be stated too heavily. This was the car that made its marque back at its original launch in 1995 and the Ingolstadt brand hasn’t looked back since, regularly out-selling its BMW and Mercedes rivals here. Diesels have always been key to this model’s success, but not the high-tech common rail diesels offered by most rivals. Instead, Audi, like other brands in the Volkswagen Group, have doggedly stuck to older (and noisier) but more proven diesel technology until they could find a common rail set-up they were comfortable with. That’s now happened and the latest 2.0-litre TDI A4s, though badged identically to their predecessors, are now very different – and much improved.
Audi’s 2.0-litre common-rail injection 143PS TDI engine is the one most diesel customers opt for in buying an A4. The engine gets to 62mph from standstill in 9.4s but more importantly has prodigious amounts of mid-range pulling power. There’s also a 120PS version of this engine that saves you £700 and is very slightly more frugal but is a second and a half slower to sixty and about 8mph slower flat out. A more intriguing option is the 2.0-litre TDIe which has aerodynamic modifications to boost economy and 136PS. If you can find £1,000 over the 143PS model, there’s a 170PS variant that gets from rest to sixty about a second quicker. This also comes with the option of quattro 4WD.
Drive the latest 2.0 TDI back to back with an old Audi diesel and that greater pulling power is immediately apparent, as is this powerplant’s superior refinement thanks to the more modern common rail technology used. The A4 remains a very rewarding car to drive in a variety of different scenarios. There are sportier options out there if that’s your thing but the A4 strikes a fine balance between eagerness and comfort.
Common-rail injection engines fire fuel into each cylinder from a shared (common) pipe (rail). The pipe is pressurised at 1,800bar which allows extremely fine atomisation of the fuel and a highly efficient combustion process. The injectors in Audi’s TDI unit are capable of injecting fuel up to five times per combustion cycle at precisely controlled quantities so exactly the right amount of fuel is burned to optimise performance. If you’re wondering how this affects you as the driver, it means a very smooth delivery of power without the sudden lunge of torque that can afflict the less sophisticated oil-burners.
The A4 features a state-of-the-art suspension and steering configuration, allowing for excellent handling balance and agility. It also has useful features like a luggage net and tie-down straps (both standard) and a bar-and-belt securing system and powered tailgate (both optional). It also helps that the tailgate is as low and wide as the interior, with no bumps or corners to negotiate, so loading is very easy.
A striking feature of the A4 is the fact that it sits on the longest wheelbase in its class. Audi took action to try and solve the appallingly small bootspace problem suffered by the MK1 A4 when it came to launching the second generation car at the turn of the century and here in the latest model they’ve turned their attention (at last) to the poor old rear seat passengers. The wheel base enables a generous amount of rear leg room with the added bonus of a 20-litre boost in boot capacity. These all measure up to mean the A4 is easily the most spacious in its sector and in turn means that buyers don’t have to choose between the prestigious badge and low residuals of a compact executive car like the A4 or the larger cabin of a cheaper model.
Whether you opt for the saloon or Avant version, the 2.0TDI engine is available in the SE and S line trim levels if you go for the 143 or 170PS versions, or standard and SE if you go for the 120 or 136PS units. Si
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