Forget performance, consumption figures and….whisper it, emissions. According to Audi, the most important element for car buyers these days is connectivity. Apparently the average driver covering 36,000 miles in three years will spend around 42 days behind the wheel and they want to stay in touch with others while they’re there.
That’s why in its 40th year through nine generations and 12 million sales, first as the Audi 80 and now the A4, Audi’s compact executive is crawling with the very latest sophisticated onboard technology which I’m told is the most advanced of any car of its size.
Apart from all the usual safety and driver assistance features like LED lights, adaptive cruise control, parking sensors and pre-sense city – which scans the road for other vehicles and pedestrians using a windscreen-mounted front camera – there’s a breathtaking range of equipment to connect to the rest of the world, beyond the optional Bang and Olufsen audio system with concert hall quality 3D sound.
The standard MMI radio with eight loudspeakers includes two USB connections, Bluetooth and voice control for telephone and radio and DAB digital radio integration. The 7 inch high resolution monitor screen is linked to the central rotary controller alongside the smartphone interface which is standard on all SE models and above. It brings Apple Car Play and Android Auto on board. When the driver plugs an iOS or Android smartphone into the USB port smartphone, its contents such as navigation, telephone, music and other apps can be accessed in a separate menu to give you a personalised infotainment catalogue. As well as that, at its core is online music through the enormous range of Google Play Music and iTunes.
Then there’s Audi Connect which provides fast Internet connection with download speeds of up to 100 megabits per second and the integrated Wi-Fi hotspot allows the car’s passengers free surfing, streaming and mailing with up to eight mobile devices. There’s also extra features ranging from navigation with Google Earth and Google Street View to online traffic information and parking space searches and to the Twitter social network. The Audi phone box in the central armrest wirelessly connects the mobile telephone via near-field communication with the car’s antenna and allows inductive charging according to the Qi standard, provided that the device is compatible. The current flows from a coil in the base of the box to a receiver coil in the smartphone. Another option is the digital virtual cockpit which is already in the TT, R8 and Q7 and replaces the standard analogue dials with a crystal-sharp display.
All this technology and some dramatic work by the engineers are under the skin of what at first sight looks like much the same, and I have to say, safe body style. But Audi stress this car is all new and assure us that everything has been changed except the name.
It’s got an obvious new front face and other styling tweaks including a sharp line to the boot lid, achieved through advanced techniques in bending metal which helps bring about the lowest drag co-efficient in its class. The car is also 110 kgs lighter to help produce a 21% improvement in economy up to 74 mpg and CO2 as low as 99g/kms as in the two litre 150PS TDi test car which is likely to be the best seller in the range.
It uses the VW Group’s new stiffer MLB platform with advanced suspension and the latest electromechanical steering to return very acceptable ride and handling.
What’s most noticeable is the reduction in both road, wind and engine noise of a standard usually only found in top of the range luxury saloons, like its A8 big brother.
There’s a range of petrol and diesel engines from 1.4 TFSI to the biggest 3 litre diesel V6 which is in the Quattro version.
The interior is businesslike more than stylish, but the build quality is top notch. It’s also surprisingly roomy with a big boot and extra headroom in the front and more legroom in the back achieved by making the seats thinner and mounted lower, but no less comfortable.
The exterior LED lighting is also intelligent by reading the road ahead and adjusting the spread of the beam so they don’t dazzle oncoming traffic. The rear indicators are dramatic, moving in a yellow stream to the edge of the car to give a really clear message to following vehicles.
The A4 may look much the same, or rather re-assuringly familiar, but under the surface it is the latest realisation of Audi’s well-established motto of Advance Through Technology, or as the Germans say, Vorsprung Durch Technik.
CAR: Audi A4 Saloon 2.0 TDi ultra SE 150PS 6 spd
PRICE: £28,465 (£33,565 as tested)
ENGINE: 1968cc inline 4 cyl diesel TDi direct injection
POWER: 150 PS
TORQUE: 320 Nms
PERFORMANCE: Top speed 130 mph 0-62 mph 8.9 secs
MPG: 74 mpg combined
CO2 EMISSIONS: 99 g/km
TT Rating:Â 
