Now this is somewhat surprising. Normally cars that are much more fun to drive gets such seal of approval, but the Top Gear team says “polish matters”, and they weigh just as much as performance.
Top Gear’s road testers said: “With the A4, Audi focused on the stuff most people care about: a quiet, comfy cabin, tech to make your jaw slacken and some genuine ride quality.” The A4 cuts easily through the air with a low drag coefficient of 0.23, and when matched to their new range of economical yet powerful engines (with coasting feature), yields substantially better mileage than the model it replaces.
QUICK FACTS
| Name | Audi A4 1.4 TFSI | Audi A4 2.0 TFSI | Audi A4 2.0 TFSI quattro |
| Engine | 1,395cc; inline-4 turbo, DOHC | 1,984cc; inline-4 turbo, DOHC | |
| Transmission | 7-speed S tronic | ||
| Max Power | 150 hp @ 5,000 – 6,000 rpm | 190 hp @ 4,200 – 6,000 rpm | 252 hp @ 5,000 – 6,000 rpm |
| Max Torque | 250 Nm @ 1,500 – 3,500 rpm | 320 Nm @ 1,450 – 4,200 rpm | 370 Nm @ 1,600 – 4,500 rpm |
| 0 – 100km/h; Top Speed | 8.5 seconds; 210 km/h | 7.3 seconds; 210 km/h | 5.8 seconds; 250 km/h |
| Price | TBA | RM248,900 | TBA |
Then there’s the new five-link front and rear suspension, delivering the kind of absorbency and control that “enables a multitude of miles to be covered seemingly effortlessly, without ruling out incisive handling”. And among the in-car tech highlights that are truly impressive are the Audi Smartphone Interface with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and of course the 12.3-inch wholly digital Audi Virtual Cockpit which never flickers, ever.Â
Back at home, the A4 B9 is available in three flavours: 1.4 TSI, 2.0 TFSI and 2.0 TFSI quattro. However, only the mid-spec 2.0 TFSI is on sale for now, with the remaining two due for market introduction by Q1 2017. The A4 2.0 TFSI is priced at RM249k before options, and comes with a 4-Year or 120,000km warranty package.
To find out whether or not the A4 B9 is worth your money, check out our detailed comparisons between the BMW 3-Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Volvo S60 T6 here.
IMAGE GALLERY
Audi A4 B9 Launch
