New Audi A4

Look! It's the all-new Audi A4! That's brand new, completely different and in no way more-or-less-exactly-the-same as the old one!

When we first saw the photos of the new A4, due to be unveiled in (take a wild stab at this one) Frankfurt, we assumed it was nowt more than a gentle late-life facelift. But, despite the over-familiar exterior lies a brand new model underpinned by a longer platform.

A platform borrowed from the A5 coupe, no less. By half-inching the architecture from its two-door sister, the A4 gets a longer wheelbase: the front axle sitting some 15cm further forwards than in the current model.

That makes for more interior space, shorter overhangs and better weight distribution. Combined with a wider track, a more centrally positioned engine and - Audi claims - a slight weight loss over the current model, the A4 should be sharper to drive, despite measuring just a couple of centimetres less than the A6.

The A4 will also be available with Audi's 'Drive Select', which allows the driver to tailor suspension, steering and transmission settings electronically. Sadly the 'Ferrari 599GTB' set-up looks likely to be an expensive aftermarket add-on.

As we said, there's not much to write home about in the styling department. The new A4 gets a slightly heavier shoulder line, a couple of lower grilles about the foglights and sharper headlights thanks to R8-esque LED strips. But it'll be a case of spot the difference when the fourth-generation A4 arrives in the UK early next year. The cabin should look familiar, too, as it's been pinched wholesale from the A5.

Engines? Again, prepare not to be shocked. The A4 will be launched with Audi's 1.8-litre TFSI and 3.2-litre V6 petrol engines, as well as three diesel options: the 2.7- and 3.6-litre V6s, plus a new 2.0-litre four-pot which replaces the current 1.9-litre TDI.

Don't start harbouring thoughts of a RS4 with a big V8 for a while, though. Audi says it'll stick to its policy of only producing one RS variant at a time, and with the current RS4 on the way out to be replaced by an RS6, it'll be a few years before the inevitable RS4/M3/C63 AMG shootout.

Plenty of time for Audi to come up with a facelift for the A4.

© Source: topgear
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