INCREASE IN DIMENSIONS
Walter de Silva did not radically change the appearance of the "four." However, the new model looks mesmerizing: a high beltline, a crease running along the entire body, and precise proportions — everything emphasizes the sporty character. It's as if we have a four-door version of the A5 coupe before us. Agree, you couldn't come up with a better compliment for a sedan. The stylish interior is finished with manic meticulousness — this is what Audi is famous for (although competitors believe it is not always justified). In the new generation, the car has become larger than the previous one: for example, the length has grown from 4590 to 4700 mm. True, this was achieved mainly through design solutions and is dictated by the desire to increase the level of safety, while the interior space has hardly changed. The front seats are as spacious as before, but the rear is quite cramped. There is little legroom in the second row, and the person sitting in the center will be hindered by the high tunnel intended for the driveshaft of the all-wheel-drive quattro version.
The A4's instrument panel demonstrates a noticeable desire to bring perfect order to everything and create the most comfortable ergonomic environment for the driver. It's just a pity that not all of these efforts were successful. The joystick for controlling the stereo had to be moved to the center tunnel — it turned out very beautiful, but absolutely impractical. It is worth noting here that the panel of the tested car is significantly richer than in the base version. The price of such a variant confidently exceeds one million rubles. True, in this case, you can also afford some luxuries like ventilated seats and a "smart" key. Of course, you shouldn't take the price indicated at the very beginning of the price list seriously. But it would be quite useful to look into the list of options — so as not to forget to include at least parking sensors and bi-xenon headlights in the equipment.
SUCCESSFUL COMBINATION
The six-cylinder V-shaped diesel with a common rail system runs quietly — both immediately after startup and when it warms up to operating temperature. It's just that it lacks a bit of character: competitors' engines are more aggressive. Nevertheless, the engine always pulls excellently, and perhaps there is no situation in which it would start to "choke." To further compliment the engine, it should be noted that the car is not light: when weighed before testing, the Audi A4 tipped the scales at 1817 kg. However, the Multitronic CVT helps to forget about the excess weight, and it suits the engine perfectly. There is no familiar shifting here in principle — the gear ratio changes smoothly and continuously, and acceleration occurs without the slightest jerk. The engineers did everything possible to rid the A4 of the main drawback inherent in CVTs. They managed to eliminate the effect of hanging at high RPM, when instead of gradually revving up with increasing speed, the engine constantly operates at the "top" during acceleration. Now, thanks to serious refinement, the sound accompaniment is not at all annoying. The CVT, excess weight, and high engine power — all this, naturally, does not contribute to fuel economy. It's not surprising that the "four" has to be refueled quite often. At least more often than the same competitors, although the fuel consumption figure itself does not look particularly frightening. If you want to drive actively, you can move the selector lever to manual mode and select one after another of eight virtual steps (of course, these are not steps at all, but simply pre-programmed fixed gear ratio values in the CVT). When leaving automatic mode, driving becomes more exciting, and yet the feeling persists that the chassis allows much more. It's pleasant that the pleasure of driving is interspersed with a sense of safety. This is, of course, not a BMW 3 Series or an Alfa Romeo 159, but you can be sure that the vast majority of drivers will frankly like the car, especially if they previously had experience with the cold-as-ice Audi A4 of previous generations. From the point of view of active safety, everything is also in perfect order — the car behaves absolutely reliably and predictably. Reactions to control are fast and precise, and the potential of the brake system leaves no reason for the slightest doubt. And what is especially pleasing is the ability to change the car's character within fairly wide limits depending on your own preferences or specific road conditions. To do this, just use two buttons, and the Audi Drive Select system will change the steering settings (we repeat, excellent steering!), making reactions sharper or, conversely, softer. The system can reconfigure the suspension as you wish: if you want — towards comfort, if you want — in favor of sporting ambitions. Without violating its own nature, the A4 will change its habits, and seriously.
QUANTITY OF QUALITY
The design of the instrument panel is borrowed from the A6. The interior trim, as always, delights with its thoroughness. Options include three-zone climate control.
The trunk is beyond criticism:
spacious, impeccably finished, and most importantly, which is not always found on cars with a three-box body, the rear seat backs fold down. The front seats are comfortable, but those sitting behind them are a bit cramped for legroom. Moreover, the high tunnel is a big hindrance here.
Everything is great!
Maximum attention is paid to every detail — you notice this both simply when getting behind the wheel and when you begin to study the car with particular passion. The designers returned to fully steel doors. The predecessor's door panel was made of steel, and the window frame was made of aluminum. The adhesive tape on the inside of the panel was probably simply forgotten to be removed.
FINE DETAILS
Of course, these are trifles, but they show how thoroughly the engineers worked: a special tube vents gases released during battery operation to the outside.
RELIABLE SUPPORT
The subframe under the body, on which the gearbox rests at the rear, is very carefully made.
FULL SET
The number of wires and electronic units in the rear wheel arch area is impressive. True, in the event of an accident, they are weakly protected.
Technical specifications
2698 cm3 190 hp V6, turbodiesel €39,151 (price in Europe) Max speed — 223.4 km/h Acceleration 0-100 km/h — 8.5 s Acceleration 70-120 km/h — 7.0 s Average consumption — 9.7 l/100 km
LIKED
The front seats can be equipped with a ventilation system for an additional fee.Climate control can work in conjunction with the seat ventilation system — in summer, your back will stay dry. Usually, such an option is found only in cars of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class level. Among the direct rivals of the Audi A4, only the Lexus IS can boast something similar.
DIDN'T LIKE
It's curious: there is plenty of onboard electronics here, but when playing music, the screen shows only the disc number, but not the track number. Look at the photo: there was more than enough free space for this information.
Technical specifications provided by the manufacturer
Audi A4 2.7 V6 TDI Multitronic
- Engine: longitudinal front placement, V6 (90° cylinder angle), cylinder diameter – 83.0 mm, piston stroke – 83.1 mm, displacement – 2698 cm³, compression ratio – 17.0, maximum power – 190 hp in the range from 3500 to 4400 rpm, peak torque – 400 Nm from 1400 to 3250 rpm, specific power – 70.4 hp/l (51.9 kW/l), cast iron cylinder block and crankshaft support, light alloy heads, 4 valves per cylinder, two camshafts in each head, balance shafts, chain drive, common rail direct injection, turbocharger with variable geometry, intercooler
- Transmission: front-wheel drive, CVT with manual sequential mode, 8 fixed gear ratios
- Tires: 245/45 R 17, wheels 8J, on the test car — Michelin Primacy HP, compact spare
- Body: 4 doors, 5 seats
- Suspension: front — independent, transverse arms, coil springs, anti-roll bar; rear — independent, transverse arms, coil springs, anti-roll bar, hydraulic shock absorbers
- Brakes: disc brakes, ventilated at the front, ABS and stability control system
- Steering: rack and pinion with electro-hydraulic power steering
- Dimensions and weight: wheelbase – 2808 mm, front track – 1552 mm, rear track – 1539 mm, length – 4703 mm, width – 1826 mm, height – 1427 mm, curb weight – 1595 kg, gross weight – 2145 kg, permissible trailer weight – 1900 kg, trunk – 480 dm³, fuel tank – 65 l
- Place of production: Ingolstadt (Germany)