2016 Audi A4 30 TFSI review, test drive

What’s it like to drive?

Now to the engine. In the A6, Audi swapped its 1.8-litre turbo-petrol motor for a new 2.0-litre unit with slightly improved power and torque. In the new A4 (don’t be fooled by the Audi’s strange 30 TFSI badge) the 1.8 has been replaced by a 1.4, pretty much the same one that’s in the Skoda Octavia 1.4 TSI. Its outputs of 150hp and 250Nm are a fair bit down on the old car’s 170hp and 320Nm, and that is bound to make some potential customers think twice. But, as Audi is quick to point out, at 8.5sec, the new car is just 0.3sec slower than the old one from 0-100kph – thanks in part to the weight loss and the quick seven-speed dual-clutch automatic (the old car had a CVT). More importantly, in a country that’s obsessed with fuel economy, the A4 30 TFSI can return a claimed 17.4kpl, which is class leading. The idea, Audi says, is to no longer participate in a race for the highest performance numbers, but to instead deliver a comfortable driving experience with much better running costs in the process. That’s all well and good, but how does this motor perform in the real world?

Start up and get going, and you will not be able to discern Audi’s downsizing effort. It’s refined, it’s smooth and it gets off the line without feeling strained. In fact, the whole car feels really light on its feet. As ever with Audi’s S Tronic multi-clutch gearboxes, this one is just sublime – smooth, jerk-free and very intuitive. It’s when you ask any more of it that the A4 30 TFSI starts to fumble. Punch the accelerator hard for an overtaking manoeuvre, for instance, and there will be some hesitation before it gets into its stride. The gearbox will kick down and hold on to a lower gear, as ever, but this is when you’ll hear the motor strain as it revs into and past its mid-range. Progress starts to feel forced, and should you get near the 6,250rpm redline, you’ll find that it’s more noise than actual acceleration. It’s a similar thing when you try to drive absolutely flat out; you almost want to tug at the right gearshift paddle for an early upshift to put the motor out of its misery. On highway cruises, provided you let the car get into its rhythm gently, sitting in seventh at 100kph is a relatively stress-free event. But you always know that if you want to get any more out of it, it will be stepping out of its comfort zone. Putting the Drive Select system into Dynamic mode only amplifies this, really. You’ll be locked into high revs at all times, and while that is good for getting the most out of the engine and gearbox, it just feels better to drive this car leisurely in comfort mode at lower engine speeds. All things considered, this 1.4 or 30 TFSI motor is good enough for city duties, but take it out on the highway or try to push it hard and it will feel a bit overwhelmed.

So the engine isn’t a 100 percent success, but what is an absolute revelation is the suspension. The last A4 felt like an inflatable castle from a children’s birthday party, but this one is just so much more sorted. Audi has clearly raised the ride height for India, but unlike with some competitors, this hasn’t come at the cost of ride quality or dynamics. Bump absorption is fantastic by any standard, and we were amazed with some of the bumps this car just ate up without a fuss. You really have to drive it a bit recklessly into potholes to get hard thud out of it. And it does this without being overly floaty or bouncy. Body movements are kept well in check, and only at three-digit speeds over undulations will you feel a bit of waywardness. Some of this may be down to the wheel and tyre choice – they’re 17-inch alloys running on 50-profile Hankook rubber – but overall this is a monumental jump from the old car, and a stellar-riding vehicle in general. Our test route had the sum total of zero corners on it, so we can’t tell you too much about the handling, but know that with a steering that’s accurate and direct in the city (and weighs up well in Dynamic mode) and good body control, you can expect good things as far as front-wheel-drive luxury sedans go.