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Dean Slavnich test drives the new Audi A4
So Audi continues to press BMW in everyway possible. The ‘car wars’ between the two German OEMs first began earlier this year when the Audi A3 Sportback surfaced just weeks before BMW’s ‘the one’ 1 Series was presented to the media.

Far from being just a facelift, this new A4 has had a number of changes made to the chassis, engines and design, which at the rear-end mirrors the Nuvolari quattro

And now VW’s premium brand has done it again. With the pending 3 Series due next-year, Audi speeded-up production of its best seller in a bid to steal the thunder from BMW, showing to the world the new A4.

You’d be forgiven for thinking this was just a face lift exercise dreamt-up by Audi big wigs. No, there’s more to the A4 than just the new Audi grille and rear-end treatment that mirrors the Nuvolari quattro concept. Scratch the surface and there’s a plethora of engineering changes to be found.

Let’s start with under the bonnet, where no-less than ten different engines can drive the new A4, three of which are completely new units.

At the top-end is VW’s/Audi’s seemingly favourite petrol powertrain, the one that Piechestrieder is most proud of: the 3.2 litre V6, which can be found in a number of VW-family models. Predictably the V6, which makes its first ever appearance in an A4, has plenty of power on tap: 256 ps (188 kW) at 6,500 rpm and 330 Nm (243 lb ft) of torque at 3,250 rpm. Yet probably the most impressive engines are the two other new ones: The 3.0 TDI and the 2.0 T FSI.

The diesel, which, by the way, is smooth, refined and very impressive, manages to push BMW’s acclaimed 3.0 litre diesel all the way, something which is no mean feat. “We’ve completely revamped the range of motors [and] the 3.0 litre TDI is a new benchmark in its class,” said one enthusiastic Audi powertrain engineer.

Whether or not it actually beats the Bavarian diesel is another matter, but Audi’s offering is good. Very good in fact. Power and torque combined aids the unit to drive the A4 more the aptly. The high-end V6 diesel develops 204 ps (150 kW) at around 4,000 revs and a maximum torque bar of 450 Nm (332 lb ft) is achieved at 3,150 rpm.

Moving down a scale, and the third new unit to grace this next-generation A4 is the lesser 2.0 litre TFSI, which is another fine engine. With minimal NVH and fuel economy that promises 11.0 per 1/100 Km on urban, the 2.0 litre petrol is bound to be one the best sellers for the new A4.The other seven powertrains span from 1.6 litres to 2.0 litres in petrol and 1.9 litres to 2.5 litres in diesel form.

Other changes have also been made apart from design and powertrain. For example, the set-up of the chassis has changed, with alternations being made to the four-link front suspension and self-tracking trapezoidal-link rear-suspension. The spring and shock absorbers have also been modified, with Audi allowing the new A4 to inherit the A6’s rear shock absorbers.

The changes to the chassis notches up the comfort level of the new A4’s ride in comparison to its predecessor. The car handles the road better, with the agility of the ride significantly improving.

The new A4 has also grown in size. The saloon is 38mm longer while the Avant has 41mm more metal than the outgoing model. The result is more room inside: the boot offers 460 litres, while the A4 Avant, with rear seats down, boasts 1,184 litres of space.

This new A4 might be 18 months premature, but unlike babies born early, it’s far from weak. The A4 is so strong that it will rattle BMW, so much so that Audi hopes to sell the best part of 300,000 units in 2005. Now all we await for is BMW’s response next year, but one thing is certain: it’s advantage Audi, for now. Game on.