Ingolstadt sorted out problems one by one scientifically. A 45% more rigid chassis is now equipped with all aluminium suspensions: the front is still the 4-link design but with revised geometry to kill squat and lift under acceleration and braking. Lower arms changed to alloy saved 8.5 kg of unsprung weight. At the rear, bye-bye the old half-independent torsion-beam which shared with Passat, now enter the aluminium trapezoidal multi-link suspension. Without doubt, the new suspensions’ lower unsprung weight allow a sportier spring and damping setup at no expense of ride quality. Moreover, they provide far better wheel control. 

Next problem to be solved is the notorious steering feel of the old car. By mounting the steering rack higher accompany with change of suspension geometry, the virtual steering axis becomes closer to the wheel center. The result is much more natural feel (also thanks to new pump valving in power steering) and eliminate torque steer, which could have been a problem for the more powerful V6.  

Yes, the new 3.0-litre V6 is another big improvement over the old 2.8 V6. The latter was not shame but compare with Mercedes’ 3.2 V6 and BMW’s 2.8 and 3.0 in-line six it was apparently unresponsive, less flexible and less smooth. Now the new V6 gains not only extra stroke but also an aluminium block (hence saving 17kg), lighter pistons (raise revability), infinite intake VVT, 2-stage exhaust VVT, 2-stage variable length intake manifolds and electronic throttle. Enough ? Besides, a balance shaft is employed to reduce first order vibration generated by the 90° V-angle which enable the V6 to be built in the same assembly line as V8s. The new engine is responsive and free-spinning from 2,000 upward to 6,800 rpm cut-out. Ultimately, at 220 horsepower it is not as powerful as BMW 330i but it is no less attractive to ears - a thing rarely found in an Audi engine. From 4,400 rpm, the resonance box produces a purposeful snarl matching the Munich rival. Speaking of real talent, Audi claims it can propel the front-wheel-drive and manual transmission car to 60 mph in 6.6 sec, that is the same league of the fire-breathing 330i and a second quicker than the automatic-only C320.  

The entry-level 2.0-litre 20-valve four employs similar technology - all-alloy, continuous VVT at intake (but no VVT at exhaust side), 2-stage intake manifold and twin balance shaft. That sounds impressive. More impressive is that it is claimed to be the lightest one in its class, at 129kg. Nevertheless, that’s just a waste of good material because it is unwilling to spin at high rev thus generates quite a lot of NVH. It seems that the very long stroke design of combustion chamber (82.5 mm bore versus 92.8 mm stroke) account for the unrefined manner despite of the help of balance shafts. In terms of output, I am disappointed with its 130 hp which is by far lower than class standard but the peak torque of 144 lbft at 3500 rpm is impressive. However, I would have preferred more power and refinement in the price of a little bit torque. Ford Mondeo seems cleverer. 

The engine range also consists of the existing 150 hp 1.8 turbo, a 130 hp pump injection turbo diesel 1.9 and a 2.5 TDI V6 turbo diesel outputting a strong 180 hp. The 1.8T still withstand the test of time well but now it has to pull an extra 30-50 kg thus you can’t expect the same performance as before. 

Last bug to be fixed was gearbox. Multitronic CVT is world famous, but the old 5-speed manual used to receive a lot of criticism about its rubbery shift quality. Now a new shift mechanism provides slick gear shift accompany with a smoother clutch actuation. 

On The Road 

The new styling is not as radical as I thought. To certain extent it is even conservative by Audi’s standard - a standard set by the TT Coupe, A6 and A2. However, it is undeniable that it feels elegant and expensive. Shut lines are narrow, paint work done perfectly, best fit and finish of cabin you can find in the mass production industry. The interior is not as large as C-class but rear passenger room beats the 3-series. Compare with old A4 the wheelbase has been stretched by 33 mm. No wonder rear passenger gets 41 mm extra knee room and 29 mm more elbow room. Of course, none of these cars can match the cheaper new Mondeo. Build quality wise, none of them are comparable with the A4. 

Performance and eagerness of the V6 is awesome, but what road testers really want to find out is whether the chassis can beat its arch rivals. Turn the steering wheel and you’ll immediately realise this is a revelation - meaty weighting, just the right amount of self-centering, sharp, precise, uncorrupted feedback ... this is probably the best front-drive steering, no, it is so much more lovely than the rear-drive 3-series and matches the high achievement of C-class.  

Ride is quite firm, so body control is fluent and composed. It feels like a new Mondeo with 10% more in every aspect - grip, understeering resistance, stability and agility. Admittedly, the same description can also be applied to C-class and to lesser extent the BMW. Now we can forget the B because it is quite obviously out of competitiveness against the C and A. The real question is: C or A better ? While both display the same competent dynamic, the C-class is specially honored for providing supple ride simultaneously. In contrast, the new A4 achieve good handling partially in the price of ride quality, which is firm although far from uncomfortable. It is just that the C-class rides too well, unreasonably well. We heard BMW is now retuning the steering and suspension of the 3-series - and the result is likely to change the whole picture - but this is not considered here. 

Let us praise Jos Van As for tuning such a fabulous chassis. Having tuned the current 3-series, the Dutchman left BMW in 1997 and joined Audi as manager of vehicle dynamics, reponsible for tuning A2 and then A4, no wonder the A4 improves so much. I am now eagerly awaiting a new S4 to come ... 
 

A4 power upgrade

In the mechanical side, the facelift brings a revised suspension setup and the latest engines. The suspension mod includes revised springing and damping, and the use of S4's rear trapezoidal links, rear wheel carriers and front track rods. These modifications improved ride quality a bit.

A4 Cabriolet

Having missed a whole generation of A4, Audi finally developed a new Cabriolet (and expected a new Coupe soon) based on the new A4 platform. As the image of A4 has been lifted considerably during these years, Audi is finally willing to call it A4 Cabriolet. Just like a BMW 3-series Convertible, the open-top A4 remains loyal to the mechanicals of its sedan version, although all exterior panels are different and the bodyshell gets extra reinforcement to compensate the lost of roof. Like the old car, the roof was designed by German convertible specialists Karmann and the whole car is assembled there. Audi expects to sell 15,000 cars a year. 

Though saying all body panels are new, it is unmistakably an A4. This is not a bad thing, as the A4 is renowned for elegant styling. However, it lacks some sparkles we would expect for a convertible. From the A-pillar forward the whole profile even looks a little bit bland, just like a box with edges and corners polished. In this aspect it looks like the old car very much. Designers also preserved some of the best elements of the old car, such as the plated windscreen pillar (which is also more steeply raked than the sedan’s) and hood cover.  

The Karmann electric hood opens and closes in 24 seconds. 3 layers keep the cabin free of wind noise. The dashboard looks quite different from the sedan, thanks to 5 circular air vents with chromed surrounds. Rear legroom is good by convertible standard. In short, this is a high-quality and comfortable place to spend your weekends. 

Drive the car and it shows the same refinement. The rigid body copes well with road irregularities and there is no vibration through steering column. The 30-valve 3.0 V6 is smooth and refined, although performance is not remarkable because it carries 155kg more than the equivalent sedan. Another engine, an iron-block 2.6-litre V6, is even heavier. There will be cheaper models in the future, using the 1.8T engine and 2.5TDI V6. Quattro version is also expected eventually, but now only front-wheel-drive is available.  

If you like the handling of A4 sedan, you might be disappointed by the Cabriolet. Although it looks sporting, it is actually less spirited to drive. The suspensions are no sportier than the sedan. Chassis rigidity is inevitably lower. Weight is up. Therefore it understeers earlier. Just like the old Cabriolet, the new one intends to fulfil the need for relaxed motoring. 
 

Audi S4

Open the bonnet, I am shocked. Instead of the previous twin-turbo V6, the new car is powered by a 4.2-litre V8 adapted from the flagship A8. Small car, big engine. I wonder why BMW insisted to keep a small six-cylinder engine to the M3. Then I remember some tuners modified M3 with M5’s V8 and I suddenly understand.... anyway, I good luck to Audi S4. 

The big V8 barely fits into the engine bay. In fact, engineers had to redesign its peripheral gear chains to make it short enough. As usual, Audi constructed it entirely in aluminum alloy, except the intake manifolds, which are even lighter magnesium alloy. At 195kg, it is no heavier than the old twin-turbo V6. This engine has 5 valve per cylinder, 2-stage variable intake manifolds and a variable valve timing at the intake side. Compare with A8’s, its tuning biases towards power rather than torque. Lightened pistons and con-rods allow it to spin to 7200rpm, outstanding for a long-stroke engine. At 7,000rpm, it pumps out the maximum 344 horsepower - exactly one horsepower more than M3, is it just a coincidence?  

Talk about torque and it won’t disappoint either. Although the maximum 302 lbft is 15 less than A8, it already knocked down M3’s 269 lbft. In terms of low and mid-range torque, there is simply no comparison. Large capacity, long stroke and variable intake all works to deliver a flat torque curve. 

As usual, drive is sent to all 4 wheels via Torsen center differential. Torque split is therefore 50:50 front to rear under normal condition. Unfortunately, the chassis is not that balanced - the front axle takes 60% of the weight. Worse still, most of the inertia (the engine) concentrates at the nose, north of the front axle, blame to the four-wheel-drive layout. This is the traditional problem of Audi, but the switch to V8 seems deteriorating the case further.  

On the Road 

The new S4 handles much more fluent than its predecessor. The combination of a torquey engine and all-weather traction make it probably faster than M3 in the hands of ordinary drivers. All out, the M3 still has an upper hand because it is 165kg lighter. Audi claims 0-60mph takes 5.3 seconds, 0.4 sec slower than BMW despite of its better traction at launch. Once the Munich straight-6 enters its power zone, there is no chance at all for the S4 to recover lost ground. In short, S4 is faster in day-to-day basis; M3 is the ultimate performance machine. 

Enter country roads and the disadvantage of S4 becomes clearer. On the one hand, it rides firmly or even uncomfortably on less-than-smooth surfaces, implying the suspensions are set too hard. On the other hand, strangely, body control is not as good as expected. There are more pitch and roll than the M3, or a HSV Commodore. Although the steering is quick, the car doesn’t turn-in as agile as its Munich rival. Our conclusion: it needs a better balanced chassis to challenge BMW. 

S4 also needs to polish its power steering, whose weighting is too light and whose feel is artificial. It is part of the reason why S4 fails to engage its driver like M3 does. However, other controls works very well indeed - the brake pedal has a progressive feel yet braking power is terrific, the Getrag 6-speed gearbox shifts cleanly.  

You can see the new S4 has improved so much from its flawed predecessor, just the inherent limitation of its quattro drivetrain prevent it from challenging M3. You know, the BMW is a rare 6-star car in AutoZine’s rating. Failing to match it isn’t a shame.