Displaying items by tag: S line

Thursday, 18 February 2021 05:04

2021 Audi A4 Review: Premium Vibes, Premium Price

The verdict: Audi strikes a beautiful balance of sporty, luxurious and high-tech in the revised A4, delivering a satisfying compact sedan experience.

Verus the competition: It’s not as athletic as competitors like the Alfa Romeo Giulia or BMW 3 Series, but the new A4 makes up in comfort what it lacks in edginess. It’s easily as quick as most of its competitors, offers similar technology and provides a luxury experience that outshines rivals from Acura, Infiniti and Lexus.

There’s been a seemingly never-ending parade of new SUVs showing up in our testing queue lately. Everyone has a new ute to sell to an increasingly ravenous customer base that loves high-riding, family-friendly, cargo-hauling boxes — so when something comes along that’s the antithesis of that mindset, it’s deliciously refreshing. That’s what we have here with Audi’s latest A4. It got a decent refresh of its styling and content for the 2020 model year, and the 2021 model got even more tweaks and refinements. German luxury specialist Audi has delivered a beautifully balanced and fun-to-drive — but not overly sporty — compact sports sedan that reminds you just how much more satisfying a low-slung sports sedan is than even the most hairy-chested, overpowered SUV out there.

More, Greener Power
The news for the 2021 A4 primarily centers on a power upgrade. The car still offers two turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engines, but both now make more power and feature a standard 12-volt mild-hybrid system to boost efficiency. Both engines gain 13 horsepower, leaving the base A4 40 trim with 201 hp and the upgraded 45 trim with a healthier 261 hp. Torque remains unchanged at 236 pounds-feet in the base 40 model and 273 pounds-feet in the 45. Both engines mate only to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive is newly standard for 2021. The manual transmission was discontinued a while ago, and now there are no more front-wheel-drive models, either.

But you know what? I’m not even mad about it, because the A4 drives beautifully. The focus on balance is clearly apparent: The higher-spec engine I drove delivers ample, immediate thrust when called upon, and the automatic transmission is snappy and responsive. The car overall delivers a refined, poised driving experience that’s highly enjoyable. Its low seating position, tight handling and smooth yet communicative ride are all excellent reminders that, despite the usefulness of SUVs, they really aren’t made for enjoying the experience of driving.

This A4 is a bit too soft to be truly sporty; steering feel is direct but notably muted, and the suspension allows a bit more lean and bump-soaking cushiness than you’ll find in a comparable BMW or Alfa Romeo. Still, it’s no marshmallow, with the kind of higher-speed highway stability you expect from a German luxury brand. Overall, there’s just enough communication from the car’s mechanical components to be entertaining, and just enough isolation to keep things luxurious and refined.

Fuel economy for the 45 S Line version of the A4 is basically unchanged from 2020 despite the addition of the mild-hybrid system. It’s rated by the EPA at 24/31/27 mpg city/highway/combined — 1 mpg less on the highway than the 2020 AWD A4. If you opt for the base 2021 A4 with the less powerful engine, that’s estimated to net you a slightly better 25/34/28 mpg, but either way, the addition of standard AWD means there’ll be no getting the fuel economy of the FWD 2020 model, which rang in at 27/35/30 mpg.

In a week of mixed-use driving, I averaged 26.5 mpg — pretty good given the spirited manner in which I often found myself driving the A4. By comparison, the higher-powered A4’s rating is mid-pack among AWD compact luxury sedans: The new 2021 Acura TLX A-Spec is rated an inferior 21/29/24 mpg, the 2021 BMW 330i xDrive a superior 25/34/28 mpg and the new 2021 Genesis G70 2.0T AWD a considerably worse 20/27/23 mpg.

Still a Benchmark Interior — for Now
We’re worried about Audi’s trend toward replacing every switch in the cabin with touch-sensitive panels — something American automakers tried a few years ago that didn’t go over well. The panels take away tactile feel for buttons, making for a more distracting experience — especially given that, in many cases, the touch panels don’t operate perfectly, requiring you to focus extra attention on them to make sure the function you tried to select has actually been selected. I’m happy to say the latest update to the A4 hasn’t created a completely “glass cockpit” just yet; there are still dedicated climate-control buttons and knobs, for instance, unlike on some larger Audis, such as the A6 and A8.

The front and center touchscreen was updated for the 2020 model year, and as in many cars these days, it’s been artlessly pasted onto the dashboard like an afterthought — or a tablet in a dock. Thankfully, unlike the latest Mercedes-Benz products, the steering wheel does not employ touch-sensitive areas — something I never thought I’d need to say.

The overall interior experience in the A4 is as it ever was: chock full of top-quality materials, excellent design, comfortable seats and great visibility. It does feature a very low driving position, which takes some getting used to in an era when what’s left of the sedans out there feature ever more upright, high-sitting driving positions. Front-seat comfort is good, but backseat space is rather tight in terms of leg and headroom, as is common in the compact sedan class.

As in other high-end luxury cars, you can adjust the interior ambient lighting from a calm, subtle glow all the way up to full-blast, “Tron”-style Lightcycle, depending on your taste and tolerance for such things. The digital gauge cluster is one of Audi’s better electronic features; the brand was one of the first to employ such technology across its range, and while it’s become a lot more common in competitors, Audi still makes sure it’s is one of the best out there with easy-to-read displays, an easy switch between display modes and an acceptable level of customization without information overload.

Cargo room isn’t the most important thing in a compact luxury sedan, but the A4 does all right here, too, with a 12-cubic-foot trunk, according to Audi. That’s more than the Genesis G70’s 10.5 cubic feet but less than the Acura TLX’s 13.5 cubic feet — and a lot less than the BMW 330i xDrive’s 17.0 cubic feet, though I suspect that figure may be a product of some sketchy measuring on BMW’s part. (This is why Cars.com has launched its own cargo-measuring effort, though we have yet to flesh out the A4’s class).

Premium Digs at a Premium Price
The latest Audi A4 is the typical premium Audi experience. My test vehicle was an S Line version, which brings a lot of the exterior styling elements of the S4 performance sedan into the A4 line, with a few spiffs on the inside, as well. As is typical with a German luxury sedan, though, you can always have more upgrades if you’d like to spend a little more money.

My test car also featured the S Line interior package, which brought leather and Alcantara seats, aluminum inlay trim and stainless-steel pedals. It also had a Black Optic Package for the exterior, which adds 18-inch black wheels, black exterior trim and all-season tires (or, as in the case of my test car, 19-inch wheels running summer tires thanks to a further Black Optic wheel upgrade). The grand total for my highly optioned A4 came to $53,840 (including destination). That’s a hefty sum for a compact luxury sedan, but it’s by no means out of line with what competitors charge for their offerings.

In the end, Audi’s mild updates for 2021 continue the A4’s long-standing tradition of style, technology and comfort, offered up at a competitive price. We can only hope the next generation doesn’t go to a complete “glass cockpit” look that eliminates hard buttons in favor of touch panels — but I’m not really all that hopeful. If anything, that impending possibility makes this model look more appealing than ever.

cars.com

Published in Audi
Friday, 12 February 2021 06:58

New Audi A3 40 TFSI e 2021 review

Is the Audi A3 40 TFSI e plug-in hybrid the best variant of the premium hatch?

This Audi A3 PHEV should appeal to company-car choosers, but everyone else may be put off by the higher list price and still-modest electric-only range. It’s beautifully finished inside and has lots of appealing tech, but its performance is compromised – in S line trim at least – by a stiff ride that means that cars with the same powertrain from sister brands are not only cheaper and more spacious, but also more comfortable.

There was a time, not too long ago, when the key model in any Audi line-up was the leanest diesel – the variant that could help user-choosers save the most on their company car tax bill while still allowing them to sit behind the wheel of a premium product on a daily basis.

Now, though, the plug-in hybrid grabs the benefit-in-kind tax headlines, so this car, the A3 40 TFSI e, is a crucial weapon in Audi’s arsenal as it tries to poach sales from the Mercedes A-Class and BMW 1 Series.

The A3 PHEV uses well known VW Group technology – which is to say that, on paper at least, there’s not an awful lot to separate the 40 TFSI e from the SEAT Leon E-Hybrid and the Skoda Octavia iV.

At its heart is a 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine producing 148bhp, and an electric motor contributes a further 107bhp. There’s no quattro four-wheel drive here, just a regular front-drive layout, and the transmission is not VW’s latest seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, but rather a six-speed DSG. A manual ’box isn’t offered.

Audi says you should be able to replenish the car’s 13kWh battery completely with a wallbox in around four hours. Overnight fill-ups shouldn’t be an issue.

The total system power is rated at 201bhp and 350Nm of torque – enough for 0-62mph in 7.6 seconds. Perhaps just as important is the electric-only range – 40 miles, or 37 if you spec S line trim and 18-inch wheels, as on our test car here – and the fact that the plug-in A3 can reach 37mph in 5.2 seconds on electricity alone.

In S line trim, the plug-in A3 sits in the 11 per cent tax band, although that will rise to 12 per cent for the next tax year. However, if you settle for a 40 TFSI e in Sport trim, then the electric-only mileage will rise to the point where the bands will be seven and eight per cent respectively.

Although it was freezing cold and wet for our drive – conditions that usually restrict a plug-in’s range – our experience indicates the car should be able to get within 20 per cent of that predicted electric-only range. It pulls away in EV mode by default, in fact, and you’ll soon find yourself trickling it along 30mph routes, enjoying the relative silence.

We say ‘relative’ because the chunky alloys and sports suspension mean there’s a fair bit of noise from the road surface, and they relay a bit too much of what’s going on down there. Audi has made great strides in giving its S line editions a more tolerant ride, but while the A3 isn’t unbearable, it’s too easily unsettled by what’s beneath it. This, in turn, undoes what would be decent body control in corners, because you’ll find yourself skipping laterally across any imperfections. It just doesn’t feel like the best take on the VW Group’s ubiquitous MQB platform for the UK’s awful roads.

It’s a pity, really, because once you’ve gone beyond pootling around town, the hybrid powertrain is both surprisingly potent and extremely smooth.

The electric motor’s ability to feed torque when the engine is still getting up to speed makes for some prodigious mid-range punch. And as for the transition between electric and combustion power, you’ll need to keep an eye on the crisp and responsive digital dash to be sure that it’s happening at all. It’s supremely refined when cruising, and very smooth when worked hard.

Inside, the A3’s cabin remains a very pleasant place, with the excellent Virtual Cockpit about the only flat element in a sharply creased dashboard, and none of its VW Golf sister’s ludicrous touch-sensitive sliders for key controls; here you get regular buttons for heating and ventilation. The quality feels nailed on, and a proper match for the car’s chief rival, the A-Class.

Space takes a hit in the move to plug-in power, though. Passengers are as well catered for here as in regular A3s, but they’ll have to pack a bit more carefully, because the boot capacity drops from 380 litres to 280 litres. That’s basically supermini numbers, so if you want a VW Group PHEV that can cope with a proper load of family clutter, and are prepared to put badge loyalties to one side, the Octavia iV (450 litres) would be better.

Source: autoexpress.co.uk

Published in Audi

The latest news from the world of the auto industry

"It's time for Europe to respond to the threats posed by Chinese car brands," said Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo, urging European Union countries to collaborate in addressing the i...