2021 Audi A4 Road Test Review
The A4 premium sedan is one of the largest selling car models from Audi not only for India but also on its global lineup. The handsome looking German car gets a major update along with the BS6 compliance in its latest avatar as it enters the Indian car market. We drive the 2021 Audi A4 to get you this road test review which will help you know all on it.
Food for Thought
Audi has been making the A4 sedan since 1994. The smart looking sedan has seen 5 generations so far while the Audi 80 was its predecessor that it replaced. The A4 uses Volkswagen groups MLB platform that is hared across the family models from Skoda, Volkswagen and Porsche. The 1st generation A4 was codenamed ‘B5’ followed by the ‘B6’ and so on. The A4 is one of the largest selling car models from the German car maker’s lineup.
Exteriors
Audis cars have always been very pretty car models and the latest avatar of the sedan takes this USP ahead. The 2021 Audi A4 looks a lot more sharper, sportier and more premium. Though the basic silhouette of the A4 has been retained the cars exteriors gets a lot of changes and updates which include an all new front end. The face now comes with a larger Audi single frame grille made of slim chrome bordering and five horizontal chrome slats signifying the bold face of this updated car model. Also in place is an all new sharp designed all LED head lamps with an all new multi styled DRL’s that look very catchy and stylish. The multi DRL’s also double up as turn indicators when needed. The front bumper is also all new and houses the blank fog lamp housing with brushed metal inserts around it. The large bonnet gets two smooth character lines flowing going backwards giving that aerodynamic and premium look to the front end.
Coming to the side profile the A4 gets this unique body stamping lines that run horizontally, one placed in the front fender and other running on the rear fender bisecting the fuel filler and neatly mating with the tail lamps. The wing mirrors get restyled and are door mounted while the window area comes with generous amount of chrome inserts that run across defining the sides. The door handles come with chrome inserts on them and also get this unique Audi style lift and pull mechanism which has a different and satisfying feel to it. The A4 drives on 17 inch five spoke silver color alloys that look premium though we would have preferred the current trending diamond cut alloys.
The rear profile on the A4 is mainly highlighted with the all new design LED tail lamps that remind you of the elder brother the A8. There class looking tail lights also get the typical and sporty looking sweeping style turn lights in them. There is this slim chrome strip that mates the tail lights across the boot lid giving the rear end some good amount of glitz.
The rear bumper is also all new that also gets thick chrome inserts on it running across the width making the car look a lot broader. You also get active dual exhausts placed on either corners of the bumper. The roof gets a body colored shark fin antenna along with an electric sun roof as standard fitment.
Interiors
In terms of interiors the New A4 comes with typical Audi styled cabin. The dash is made up of soft material giving that premium feel to it. The AC vents get faux extension vents that run across the dash in typical Audi fashion. The key highlight of the dash is the 10.1 inch sized floating touch screen infotainment screen that runs on the latest generation of Audi MMI system. You get all the connectivity options on this unit which include Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth phone connectivity, FM radio, voice commands etc loaded to the system. This AVN system is an all new unit that runs pretty fast and is very crisp and clear in its display output. The New A4 also comes with a 12.3 inch color TFT screen which is the virtual cockpit instrument cluster for the car. This again puts out some super crisp and rich display on the screen, you get speedo, RPM, GPS map etc neatly and cleverly displayed on here.
The center dash also houses the three zone climate control unit that has these dials for fan speed and temperature which have a very satisfying tactile feedback to them. The steering is a three spoke design with MFD buttons neatly laid on it along with paddle shifters too, you get manual adjust for height and reach on this leather wrapped steering.
The center console gets can holders and also a wireless mobile charger neatly placed partly under the center armrest that also doubles up as the storage space. The gear shifter gets premium leather insert and metal insert on it which feels very premium. The cabin gets glossy black inserts on the dash, door pads combined with metal inserts giving a rather rich and sporty feel to the cabin area.
The A4 gets leather upholstery on its seats with both the front seats getting full electric adjust along with 4 way lumber support to enhance comfort levels. The front seats offer excellent support for the back, thigh and also give the occupants lots of head and knee room. The rear seats have loads of leg, knee and head room. Comfort levels are also very high at the rear. You get adjustable head rests, folding arm rest and also sun shade on the rear windows. The passengers at the rear also get their own climate control setting along with a 12V charge socket.
Other features included on the New Audi A4 include 30 color ambient light, rimless rear view mirror, all led whit cabin and reading lights, heated auto dimming wing mirror etc. The New Audi A4 comes with a large boot space with 480 litres of loading area which is wide and deep. The boot lid can be opened electrically and also using gesture control when your hands are occupied.
Engine – Transmission – Suspension
The 2021 Audi A4 comes powered with only one engine option for now, powering it is the 2.0L TFSI petrol engine which is BS6 compliant and also powers other Volkswagen family models namely the VW Tiguan All Space, Skoda Superb and the Karoq. This engine makes 190PS of power and 320Nm of peak torque. Transmission option on for this engine is the 7-speed DSG automatic which Audi calls as the S-Tronic. This is a front wheel drive car though there also is an all wheel drive (Quattro) model available in other markets. The engine also gets assisted with a mild hybrid unit that helps it while coasting by cutting off the fuel supply with the hybrid motor coming to play. The Hybrid motor gets its charge when the engine is accelerated in turn.
The New A4 drives real well. The 2.0L TFSI engine is a real gem on the move with high levels of refinement and power delivery. The in cabin comfort level is pretty high and the super silent at all speeds. The steering has a nice weighted feedback to it. You can also add some more fun factor to the drive feel by shifting the transmission using the paddle shifters and also by using the Audi Drive Select choosing between Efficiency, Comfort, Auto, Dynamic and Individual preset modes that alter the steering, dampers, transmission shift and the engine power as per the mode selected.
The suspension setup is very well tuned offering an excellent drive and comfort feel. The car glides over bad roads, pot holes and speed breakers with ease and finesse. Overall we experienced a very positive drive feel experienced in the 2021 Audi A4.
Verdict
The A4 has always been an excellent car model on Audis lineup and now with the companies stake at an all time low the car in its latest avatar is the perfect model to bring it back into the reckoning. The car looks very nice, has tons of features loaded to it, gets an amazing buttery smooth and potent TFSI engine, everything going good for the car model. We just hope Audi India prices the car very competitively and if they do don’t be shocked to see the A4 sales take a flight with huge numbers.
Words – Ritesh Madhok
Photography & Video – Govind Gadekar
Drone – Amit Shelar
