Audi A4 AVANT RANGE
Recent Improvements Put Audis Revised A4 Avant In An Even Stronger Position. Jonathan Crouch Reports
For those who dont have too much time, heres the verdict on the latest
Audi A4 Avant. As its always been, this is an estate for those who dont like estate cars. But that doesnt necessarily mean that style has taken precedence over substance.
Yes, the Avant is tight at the back, but fold the rear seats down and you get a car that will easily transport two or three people plus a good deal of baggage on holiday. Bolt a roofbox onto the sleek roof rails of, say, an A4 Avant 3.2 V6 quattro and youll still be the coolest character in Courchevel this winter. Prices are pitched between £20,055 for the entry-level 1.
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6 to around £38,265 for the S4 quattro a premium of around £1,150 over the equivalent saloons. Like its saloon counterpart, this revised version adopts the latest
Audi corporate grille, offering a good deal more overtaking precence than original versions of the second generation A4 were able to boast. Although many of the cars so-called hard points - the basic dimensions - have been left the same, this is more than a mere facelift. The biggest changes come in the engine line up where Audi has made swingeing cuts to a whole slew of powerplants it has deemed not up to scratch.
Out go the 150bhp 2.0 FSi, the 2.4 V6, the 3.0 V6, the 1.
9TDi 130 and the 2.5TDi 178 engines while the perennial 1.8T turbocharged petrol unit has had its power output shaved back from 187bhp to a more modest 161bhp. Four engines that have seen service elsewhere in the Audi group debut in the A4.
These comprise a 197bhp turbocharged 2.0T FSi unit, a 138bhp 2.0-litre turbodiesel, a 252bhp 3.2-litre V6 FSI and a 202bhp 3.
0-litre V6 turbodiesel. Five engines have survived the cull: the 101bhp 1.6, the 130bhp 2.0-litre, the 150bhp 2.0 FSI, the 113bhp 1.
9 turbodiesel, the 161bhp 2.5-litre V6 turbodiesel and the flagship powerplant, the 339bhp 4.2-litre V8 that powers the scorching S4 models.
"Unless you object to a firm ride and a decidedly compact and bijou loading bay, this car is devilishly hard to fault."
As already suggested, the A4 Avant isnt an estate from the old school, so dont kid yourself that its a
Volvo or get out too many grandfather clocks. Its 1,184-litre capacity with the seats folded down is less than the
BMW 3 Series Touring or the Mercedes C-class estate, its two key domestic rivals. Only the Alfa 156 Sportwagon is more flagrantly compact. Like the Alfa, the Audis boot space with the rear seats in position - 442 litres - is less than the standard car.
However, the fact that the Avant out-sells all these competitors is the first clue that these apparently damning statistics only tell half the story. Clever trapezoidal link rear suspension means that you dont get any intrusion into the load bay. Whats the use of a huge on-paper loading capacity if, to all intents and purposes, its impossible to access? This is where the Audi comes up trumps. If you needed to load an item 100cm wide, the Audi could and the BMW and Mercedes most certainly couldnt.
Likewise, the tailgate width is the biggest of the trio and it opens to a height of almost two metres, making loading far less of a cranium-threatening activity for the taller owner. The load bay is stuffed with clever ideas, Audis designers having a field day with neat ways to boost the diminutive Avants practicality. Unfortunately the rear blind and safety net are mounted on the back of the 2/3 split rear
seat. You can fold the 1/3 down while still covering the luggage bay but if the 2/3 seat is folded, you can see into the luggage bay.
Alternatively, the rather heavy blind system can be removed to give the full 1184-litre capacity. The floor of the loading bay is split laterally, with a 65-litre cubby providing additional storage space. Chrome lashing eyes, stowage nets and a heavy-duty reversible mat also feature. The exterior lines are pretty much A6 Avant after a hot cycle, itself no bad thing.
The revised tail light clusters seem to sit proud on delicate hips that run the length of the car, whilst the roof bars sink elegantly into the roofline giving a svelte appearance that belies the A4s stubby dimensions. After all, at just 4544mm long, the Avant is still significantly shorter overall than a
Ford Mondeo or a
Peugeot 407 saloon. As for the rest of the latest changes, well, theres a more sophisticated range of transmissions, with revised 5-speed and 6-speed manual gearboxes, a 6-speed tiptronic automatic (for quattro versions) and a clever CVT 7-speed multitronic automatic for front-wheel drive variants. On the road, a revised four-link front suspension borrowed from the roadburning S4 model should make the driving experience more involving, as should the hi-tech Servotronic speed-dependent power steering system fitted to plusher variants.
The brakes are upgraded across the range and the ESP Electronic Stability Programme is even more likely to keep you out of the ditch during emergency manoeuvres. Inside, youll notice Audis new steering wheel design and active locking head restraints that automatically minimise the distance between the restraint and the head in a rear crash situation. New two-stage intelligent airbags are now fitted for the driver and front passenger and theres a much cleverer DVD-based satellite navigation system for those who want it. As ever, the fascia ergonomics are predictably perfect, the quality breathtaking.
Now that the driver appeal box gets a big tick, its even harder to fault the A4 Avant. The choice of engines and gearboxes is superb and the exterior styling is all wed expect from Audi. Unless you object to a firm ride and a decidedly compact and bijou loading bay, this car is devilishly hard to fault. If you felt impervious to the charms of an estate, heres one that has the power to convert.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Audi A4 Avant range
PRICES: £20,055-£38,265 on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 10-20
CO2 EMISSIONS: 151-321g/km
PERFORMANCE: [1.8T] 0-60mph 8.4s / Max Speed 141mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [3.0TDI] (combined) 37.6mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin airbags, side and curtain airbags, ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: (length/width/height) 181/70/61"
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