Audi A4 TDIE Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Audi A4 TDIe
Prices: £23,340-£24,320 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 11
Emissions: 120g/km
Performance: 0-60mph 9.5s / Max Speed 143 mph
Fuel Consumption: (urban) 48.7mpg / (extra urban) 74.3mpg / (combined) 61.4mpg
Safety: Twin front, window & side airbags, ESP, ABS, traction control,
Dimensions: Length/Width/Height, 4703/1826/1427mm

CLEAN MACHINE

Our Rating: 7.6 / 10

Audi has pulled out all the stops to boost the A4’s economy. Steve Walker checks out the 2.0 TDIe model.

At the beginning of 2005, Audi’s most fuel efficient A4 saloon just about managed to squeak over the 50mpg barrier for combined cycle economy. Today, the leading A4 manages over 61mpg. That’s good progress from the German marque and the efficiency gains have not come at the expense of the car’s ownership experience. Whereas the 2005 model had 114bhp, the modern day equivalent packs a much more satisfying 134bhp.

Audi’s problem is that rival brands have made similar strides over the same period but it will be hoping that the A4 2.0 TDIe is good enough to get ahead rather than just keep pace with the fast moving market.

There’s no denying that car manufacturers have made huge strides in enhancing the efficiency of their vehicles over recent years. Their hands have been forced to an extent by legislation that has made efficient vehicles desirable for financial as well as ethical reasons and with most of the improvements achieved through relatively simple modifications, there’s definitely scope to wonder why action wasn’t taken earlier by the car industry.

Whatever the motivations of the big brands, they did come up with the goods eventually and are continuing to do so with more advanced technologies arriving on the market seemingly by the month. The A4 TDIe certainly has advanced systems but its technology relies on getting the most from basic components that we’re all familiar with.

It’s Audi’s 2.0-litre common-rail diesel engine that provides the power for the TDIe version of the A4. It has 134bhp in this guise which it generates at 4,200rpm. Between 1,750rpm and 2,500rpm, the engine gives its strongest torque of 320Nm, which should be enough to ensure that despite the attention that’s been paid to efficiency, this A4 still has the muscle to entertain. The 0-60mph sprint is done and dusted in 9.5s, but trying to replicate that or the 143mph top speed is a sure-fire way to scupper your fuel economy.

This efficiency version of the A4 actually features the sports suspension that’s available elsewhere in the range. This will bring a firmer ride and sharper handling but the primary reason for its inclusion on this model is that it drops the ride height by 20mm, improving the aerodynamics. All TDIe models also come with a six-speed manual gearbox.

Behind the A4 TDIe’s headline capturing economy figures are a series of modifications that Audi has made to the car. Chief amongst them is the start-stop system which turns the engine off when the gear lever is in neutral and the clutch pedal is raised. Lower the clutch to move off and it takes just two tenths of a second for the engine to restart, so drivers shouldn’t be left floundering, waiting for the system to kick in.

Start-stop can be deactivated at the touch of a button but the energy recuperation system is always on. Here, kinetic energy that is usually lost when a vehicle brakes is recycled and used to recharge the battery, so there’s less load on the engine when it’s accelerating.

Start-stop and energy recuperation feature on all the less powerful A4 models but there are also changes exclusive to the TDIe model. These include a longer top gear on the six-speed gearbox which allows the engine to work less hard when cruising at speed and a set of low rolling resistance tyres. There are also aerodynamic enhancements, including the lowered suspension and measures to flatten the underside of