Audi A4 TDi 2006 review

Australian launch

What we liked
>> Muscular midrange oomph
>> Interior finish
>> Economy and range

Not so much
>> Engine lacks aural appeal
>> Steering too light
>> A4 interior dated

BOTTOMLINE:
Muscular midrange and frugal appetite makes the TDI a worthwhile addition to the A4 range

Audi Australia has declared publicly it will pursue an aggressively diesel-focussed growth strategy in 2006. The first shot in this offensive, aimed four square at the 'user-choosers' who dominate new car purchases in the $50-$100K arena, is the A4 2.0 TDI.

Launched alongside the latest S4 hotshoe in November, the 2.0 TDI joins the A6 3.0 V6 TDI as a diesel beachhead for the brand. Much vaunted, the A6 oiler has been an unqualified success. Through 2006, the pair will see A3, A8 and Q7 diesel models join them in Audi showrooms across the country.

Combining the 2.0-litre 16-valve 103kW Golf TDI-sourced turbodiesel four and Audi's excellent seven-step Multitronic CVT transmission for the first time, the 2.0 TDI is a canny package. With 320Nm of torque on tap from 1750-2500rpm, the Audi's got more potential 'oomph' than the top-engined 3.2-litre V6 petrol A4, yet should yield close to the maker's claimed 6.4lt/100km combined fuel economy in normal use.

Combine this sort of economy with a 70lt fuel tank and you get serious range. In excess of 1100km, says the maker.

Performance is not shape-shifting, especially away from rest -- Audi claims a 0-100km/h sprint in 9.8sec. Once rolling, however, there's a muscular feel to the delivery and overtaking and roll-on acceleration is up there with the big-engined petrol A4s. The Multitronic can be a little slow to respond in some instances but a quick flick of the lever into manual mode has the right gear at hand and you're away.

High speed cruising is effortless -- as you'd expect from a car from the land of the autobahn.

Indeed, it's this combination of usable real world performance and excellent fuel economy that make this variant the top-selling A4 in most European markets. Down Under Audi has sales targets set at a conservative 250 units per annum. After driving the compact oiler, it would surprise us if the real number is not considerably higher.

The appeal of the A4 is not aural. This is a relatively uninspiring engine to kick into life. And while the diesel clatter is more subdued in the A4 than its Golf cousin, and arguably quieter than Mercedes-Benz's $11,000 more expensive C220CDI, this engine still doesn't have the charisma of, say, the six-cylinder BMW diesel.

Interestingly VW will retire this engine from frontline use in 2006 -- opting instead for a new 125kW engine. No plans at this stage for Audi to follow suit -- though it will also launch the A4 with the muscular 3.0-litre V6 TDI engine Down Under later in 2006.

That's not to say the 2.0-litre is 'old tech'. This is a thoroughly modern diesel utilizing 'Pumpe-Düse' (pump-nozzle) technology and a variable geometry turbocharger. Also featured are twin balance shafts which reduce engine vibration particularly at high engine speeds.

The rest of the package is typical A4: Dynamically middle of the road and a touch dated, but nonetheless very well finished and executed.

We’re not saying the front-wheel drive TDI doesn’t handle well. Within the bounds of its target market it's better than good -- but just don't expect it to have the purity of the rear-wheel drive 3 Series or even Lexus' new IS250, nor the fluency of the best Japanese front-wheel drivers.

We've criticized the A4 previously for its overly light steering; the TDI is in the same boat. Ride was a little choppy on the car we drove too, though on a par with the latest 3 Series offerings. The C220 Benz rides better than both.

Audi has generally upped the equipment levels of its cars locally in an effort to deliver more bang for your bucks than their Mercedes and BMW counterparts.

The TDI is no exception with equipment specification including 16-inch alloy wheels, active front head restraints, eight airbags, servotronic power steering, fog lights at the front and rear, and DataDot microdot identification.

Volterra leather upholstery is standard (on all A4s now) along with trip computer and multi-function steering wheel. A front centre armrest, Chorus sound system with CD changer, 10 speakers and 150-watt output, cruise control, dual-zone aircon and aluminium interior trim are also standard.

In other words, the sort of equipment you'd expect in a car priced from $56,990.
(FYI: this compares to $49,950 for the 96kW A4 2.0 petrol and $61,750 for the 147kW A4 2.0 TFSI). Our Akoya Silver launch event test car was $60,365 as tested with metallic paint ($1500) auto-dimming mirror and rain sensing wipers ($550), high gloss package ($550) split-fold rear seat ($690!) and auto boot lid ($135) adding to the price.

We've complained often enough about metallic paint premiums before, so this time instead it's the split-fold rear seat and auto boot lid that attract the ire. Is it reasonable to have to pay extra for these sorts of items in this type (and price) of car? We think not...

Option pricing aside (now there's a feature we should write -- note to the editor!) the A4 TDI's an attractive package and a sensible addition to the A4 range.

With fuel prices easing, some of the logic behind 'going diesel' has been eroded but the real attraction of the modern diesels like the A4 TDI runs deeper than just fuel economy.