New Audi-A4

Audi-A4

Version	Price (Ex-Showroom)
2.0 TDI	Rs. 30,00,000
3.2 FSI Quattro	Rs. 37,00,000

It is not everyday that the boss hands over the keys, err, the fob of a luxury sedan to me for a night out. After pestering him for hours, he finally relented. I had the Audi A4 till the wee hours of Sunday morning. Of course, there was a long list of repercussions I would be dealing with in case he found a single scratch on the outside or a beer spill on the inside! An hour later, I was prepared for a night of pub crawling with close pals. Err…uh…well, there was a minor snag. I knew I was going to be overshadowed by the sleek, sexy and achingly beautiful A4, even if I wore a Burberry shirt and an Armani perfume.

We planned to hit one of Pune’s favourite resto-lounge-bars located in one of the hippest areas of the city. The A4 unquestionably stood out from the usual crowd of Accords and Civics. The ladies seemed more than happy to smile in my direction while the men for sure burned with jealously! I have to admit, the car did wonders for my ego even though I had strapped on a borrowed Rolex. As I stepped out with a confident stride, the buzz I was on that evening was definitely courtesy the A4. The car had a positive impact on the way I walked, talked and yes, boogied the night away!

It is rare that we come across a car which not only excels beyond expectations for its segment but also comes closer to knocking at the door of a category above it. The A4 is one such vehicle. It displaced the BMW from the slot of being the quintessential driver’s car and nudged past the Mercedes in terms of prestige value. With aphrodisiac memories of the sporty petrol A4 we tested earlier, I looked at the four-ringed badge of the oil-burner variant with a jaundiced eye. Will this understated Audi give us something to rave about?

The colour of a car can dramatically change the way it projects its appeal even at a standstill. While the striking red petrol version looked like a sexy coupe turned four-door saloon ready to be taken around a race track, this one in a shade they term Dakar Beige seemed like a subdued machine nonetheless exuding elegance and class. The front headlights with the LED lamps, a long running bonnet, seven-spoke 17inch alloy wheels and typical Audi curves make the saloon look on par with other cars this side of the four million buck machines.

Everything is of a high quality and beautifully fitted inside the cabin. You sit a bit lower say as compared to the Mercedes C-class cosseted by rich feel interiors staring directly at a sporty looking speedometer and an array of buttons on the central console. There’s no overlooking Audi’s brilliant MMI (Multi Media Interface) above the air-conditioner vents. Although initially appearing complex, in reality, it is easy to understand and use. Soon, you get into a comfortable driving position thanks to a complete electronically controlled seat (the passenger seat as well!) Pressing the fob brings the car to life, however, you do miss the muffled growl of the V6 petrol. This one’s a 2.0-litre common rail unit and produces just over half of what the V6 manages in terms of power. Nonetheless, the A4’s 320Nm of torque is on par with its faster sibling. Select D, hit the pedal and you are on the move. The eight-speed multitronic automatic transmission is a CVT system and though Audi seems to have worked on reducing the rubber band effect, you can’t help but notice the CVT’s drawbacks especially while down shifting. I assume that most of the time, the ones behind the wheel of this car won’t be driving it pedal to metal and in this case, the A4 drives like a dream.

The A4 is not a heavy car going by the way she looks. Intelligent use of weight saving materials has kept the kerb weight down to just 1520 kilos which means that the 2.0 TDI engine has enough grunt to post quick acceleration timings of 10.3 seconds for the 0-100km/h sprint. Keep the throttle pinned and the Vbox shows a true 207.4km/h before the engine runs out of breath. No tyre shredding performance, but in city traffic where the low and midrange matter, the engine performs decently. The eight-speed ‘box shifts up quickly to get the motor running at low revs and the immediate response from the engine means closing in on gaps in traffic is not a problem. What’s more, the unit operates silently with the windows rolled up and delivers reasonably impressive fuel efficiency figures.

Our diesel car came with optional 17inch alloy wheels, an inch less than the V6 petrol variant. We were pleasantly surprised with how well-behaved the petrol A4 felt with 18inch alloys (optional), but this one hits the ball out of the park. The Beemer just doesn’t come close while the A4 even manages to better the Merc when it comes to ride quality. It just swallows bad roads with aplomb, glides over the expressway cement slabs, chews up potholes and remains composed at high speeds. The diesel might not have the petrol’s Quattro (all-wheel) drive but even with a front-wheel drive system, the suspension keeps things well under control. The perfectly weighted steering provides oodles of feedback to the driver. The rolling switches for audio controls on the steering wheel are a well thought of feature.

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