INGOLSTADT: The new Audi A4 and A4 Avant (wagon) is putting the heat on its German rivals with a series of innovations to refine and enhance every aspect of the driving experience.
Technological highlights of the new car include the Audi virtual cockpit, the Audi Matrix LED headlights, the Audi smartphone interface, the Bang & Olufsen Sound System with 3D sound, the Audi phone box with wireless charging, the head-up display, and new driver assistance systems and Audi connect services.
The focus here is on two innovations. The optional Audi virtual cockpit, a fully digital combination instrument, features a 12.3-inch LCD screen that displays the most important information in high-resolution graphics.
The MMI control concept in the centre console is also a newly designed feature and acts as the main control element. The top-end infotainment system, MMI Navigation plus with MMI touch and a large 8.3-inch monitor, has a touchpad in the rotary controller to zoom in and out and to enter characters.
The Audi smartphone interface is a new standard feature. It supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto platforms and displays smartphone contact and information such as navigation mapping on the MMI screen.
The MMI control logic includes an intelligent free-text search function. The new, more natural, voice-control system also understands input in normal everyday language, such as “I want to call Peter Miller.”
Standard equipment highlights include 17-inch alloy wheels, Xenon headlights with LED DRLs, Audi smartphone interface, Audi drive select, three-zone climate control and 7-inch colour MMI monitor.
Compared with the previous model, the car’s dimensions have grown but its weight has been reduced significantly – by up to 120kg, depending on the engine.
At 4.73 metres long and with a wheelbase of 2.82 metres – the new A4 and A4 Avant exude a confident stance. A prominent horizontal line on the front and rear emphasises the car’s width. The flowing design with concise lines communicates the sporty elegance of the brand.
The Singleframe grille is wide and low; the optionally available headlights in LED and Matrix LED technology (including dynamic indicators) make technology a visual trademark.
When it comes to aerodynamics, the two new models boast superior figures. The A4 has the best drag coefficient in its class at 0.23, and the A4 Avant pierces the air almost as cleanly with a 0.26 figure. The new models also have low CO2 emissions which in the 2.0 TDI ultra dips below 100g/km.
Audi claims all occupants will get generous space. The front of the dashboard features a broad band of air outlets and a large decorative surface. At night, optional discreet contour lighting illuminates the doors and the central console.
The luggage compartment of the new A4 Avant offers storage space of 505 litres, which is the highest value in this class. With the rear seats folded down and loaded to the roof, a volume of 1,510 litres is available. The electric luggage compartment cover and electric tailgate are standard equipment.
An optional extra is sensor control for opening and closing the tailgate.
The A4 and A4 Avant will launch with seven engines – three TFSI and four TDI. Their power output has increased significantly and ranges from 150PS to 272PS, but fuel consumption has been reduced by up to 21 percent. CO2 dips below 100g/km in the 2.0 TDI ultra Saloon.
The most powerful engines are two TDI six-cylinder units with up to 272PS.
The powertrain and the chassis of the A4 and A4 Avant have been completely redeveloped. The six-speed manual transmission, the seven-speed S tronic (now also available for front-wheel drive) and the eight-speed tiptronic have been redesigned; the automatic transmissions now offer a fuel-saving freewheeling function. Wheel-selective torque control supplements the work of the front-wheel drive and the quattro drive. For the most powerful TDI, Audi will offer the sport differential on the rear axle as an option from 2016.
Audi said handling has also been vastly improved. It said the suspension and steering filter out disturbances such as an uneven road surface, but communicate to the driver important information such as increases in lateral forces and tracking. This performance is based on the redeveloped five-link axles and the electromechanical power steering. They lay the foundation for dynamic handling and high ride comfort while also reducing fuel consumption.
Additional options are dynamic steering, which varies its ratio according to the car’s speed and the steering angle, and suspension with adjustable shock absorbers with which the driver can for the first time select between two settings: sports or comfort. Both of the suspension settings are included in the Audi drive select driving-dynamics system.
Numerous driver assistance systems are included. The predictive efficiency assistant helps drivers to save fuel, Audi active lane assist helps them to stay in lane and the Stop&Go adaptive cruise control including traffic-jam assist eases driving in slow-moving traffic.
One special feature of traffic-jam assist is its control strategy. It takes into account a large number of parameters such as road markings and the traffic ahead. Some more innovations that make important contributions to safety are parking assist, rear cross-traffic assist, exit warning, collision avoidance assist, turn assist and the Audi pre-sense systems. Camera-based traffic-sign recognition is also available.
> See the latest A4 and A4 Avant video reveal below (in German, but we will replace it if the English version shows up).
Keyword: Next Audi A4 unmasked