Audi has updated its A4 executive saloon, which will go head to head against the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C-Class and Jaguar XE.
More than 7.5 million A4s have been sold by Audi during its 25 year lifespan, and even with the rise of SUVs it’s still the brand’s biggest seller.
This updated model is not quite a completely new car but it’s been given much more than the usual mid-life refresh. Indeed, the bonnet, boot and roof are the only visible bits that remain the same.
There’s a new front end that makes the car look lower and wider, LED headlights are now standard, an creases above the wheel arches add a more muscular appearance.
The interior is dominated by a 10.0in touchscreen infotainment system, which replaces the rotary dial-controlled 7.0in or 8.3in screens of the outgoing car. Many Audi buyers will lament the loss of the rotary controller, which made the car’s systems easy to operate without taking your eyes off the road – but that’s progress for you.
New saloon, Avant estate and Allroad models are all being released simultaneously, as is the range-topping S4 version. Sales of the new model will start in the autumn.
Three turbocharged 2.0 litre petrol engines are offered, with outputs ranging from 148bhp to 241bhp. These all come with mild hybrid technology to improve efficiency.
They’ll be joined soon after launch by a pair of 2.0 litre diesels, also with mild hybrid tech, which have outputs of 134bhp or 161bhp.
At the top of the A4 tree is the S4 performance model. In a surprise move, its petrol engine is being ditched – instead it will be offered with a 3.0 litre turbodiesel (again a mild hybrid) that produces 342bhp and completes the 0-62mph dash in 4.8 seconds.
UK pricing for the new A4 is yet to be announced but expect a modest increase over the £29,260 entry point of the current model.