8 February 2011
Audi's philosophy is 'Advancement through Technology'. It's not hard to see why when one of the factory's engineering gurus gives you a presentation on the latest and greatest technical innovations that the new A4 has to offer.
It also helps put their retail pricing into perspective as well, both new and used, as technical advancement like the Audi brand possesses do not come cheap.
Whether one needs all the fancy technical wizardry is another question, especially as the product starts to filter its way down into the used car market after the original owners have traded up.
They're cars many aspire to own but few can afford to maintain should those highly technical bits and pieces on-board start to give problems long after the new car warranty period is over.
But who cares about that when you can afford to buy new and want all the latest engineering that Audi builds its reputation around.
The new A4 has similar looks in comparison to the previous model but has been designed to create a new sporty impression. The athletic stance is achieved by reducing the front overhang and increasing the bonnet length.
Stretching the wheel base has allowed for more interior occupant room, rear legroom has improved slightly but is still restricted by the central drive train tunnel.
There's room for the golf clubs as well with a 480 litre boot which is larger than any of its direct competitors.
Considerable time was spent increasing the body's rigidity, introducing high strength steel in essential body structures, while at the same time embarking on a weight saving exercise.
Weight savings give the obvious benefit of a better power to weight ratio, but it also has the benefit of decreased fuel consumption. A target manufactures like Audi must sometimes struggle with given customer expectation of high performance and specification levels.
Helping in the fuel consumption stakes is a drag coefficient of just 0.27. Just what does that mean in layman's language? Working on a drag coefficient for an average size vehicle of approximately 0.79, it means the Audi is very slippery through the air which aids in fuel savings as well as reducing wind noise.
Four, direct fuel injected engines are available covering a power-output range from 105kW to 195 kW. Two of the engines (2.0 litre in-line 4cyl & 2.7litre V6) use common-rail diesel technology and both are turbo charged.
Of the two petrol power units available the 1.8 litre in-line 4 cylinder is turbocharged with electronic intake camshaft adjustment while the 3.2 litre V6 is the only normally aspirated engine available.
In total, an average fuel saving of 13% has been achieved over the previous model for the petrol models while the diesels achieve a reduction of 6%.
Audi's version of the Constant Variable Transmission (CVT) called Multitronic is used on the 1.8 litre turbo and both diesels and can cleverly imitate eight gear change patterns while a super smooth six-speed tiptronic auto is used on the 3.2 litre quattro permanent four wheel drive model.
Apart from the quattro, where the torque split is 40:60, drive on both the diesels and petrol models comes via the front wheels. In a piece of engineering mastery and with no apparent costs spared, the differential has been moved further forward in the driveline from the previous model, by interchanging its position with the clutch or torque convertor. This has enabled the front axle to be repositioned further forward allowing for the axle loads to be ideally balanced.
To add further to Audi's fascination for everything high-tech, two optional technologies are on offer. One of them is the Audi drive select control system, with which the driver can adjust the operating characteristics of the engine, automatic transmission, steering and adaptive suspension damping to suit their individual preferences or driving conditions by the push of a button.
The big assumption here is the driver really knows which setting is best in what could be constantly changing driving environments.
When asked this question, the technical expert present at the press launch commented that while the system was designed to allow the driver to change the handling characteristics of the vehicle, built-in safety margins ensure the car is never allowed to step outside of certain parameters.
The other optional package is Audi dynamic steering which varies the steering ratio according to road speed.
At slow speeds or when parking full lock will be reached with less than one turn of the steering wheel, while at high speeds the steering becomes much less sensitive.
In addition, the system can automatically override the drivers intended steering wheel angle when the vehicle is close to its handling limits and the stability control system is activated.
The driver is totally unaware of the change in steering angle in this condition. The technology in this superimposed gear system helps reinforce that the Audi philosophy is indeed alive and well.
All models come standard with electronic stability and traction control, six airbags including a front passenger airbag key deactivation system, auto headlights, rain sensing wipers, fog lights, rear parking aids, cruise control, leather multifunction steering wheel, trip computer and a split folding rear seat.
Prices start at $67,900 for the petrol 1.8T FSI, $68,900 for the 2.0 TDI and $78,900 for the 2.7 TDI. Add a flat $6,000 for an S line version.
The 3.2 FSI tops out prices at $102,900 while the S line adds an additional $6500 to the retail price.
Impressive technology in all facets of the cars construction makes the Audi A4 a very good package for those with the coin to buy new.
In years to come however it could become a very expensive car to repair but then, what used European vehicle of this technological stature isn't?