Audi A4 2019 Review

Although it actually wasn’t, it seems like only yesterday that Audi ushered in its lauded, current-generation A4.

In fact the A4 as we know it now – with the benefits of some mid-life embellishments early this year – has already been selling in Australia since early 2016, more than three years ago.

In the mid-size luxury sedan milieu, it doesn’t take long for a seemingly unassailable lead to be neutralised as the competition catches up, then passes without so much as a backward glance.

Although it’s possible to step into an Audi A4, before on-road costs, for as little as $56,100 (the 1.4-litre 35 TFSI sedan) the primo 45 TFSI quattro version reviewed here is tagged at $70,300 before the extensive options list has been consulted.

Although autonomous emergency braking (high and low-speed), pedestrian avoidance, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are standard it’s disappointing that safety items such as adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist only come as part of a $2470 assistance package.

And, with the inclusion of other packages such as the $1300 S line sport package which brings such things as 19-inch titanium-look Audi Sport wheels and extensive internal dressing-up, a self-explanatory parking assistance package complete with 360-degree cameras, and a Technik package that adds matrix LED headlights, Bang & Olufsen audio and head-up display (plus single-item options including a sunroof, heated front seats, Nappa leather trim, metallic paint, moody interior lighting and privacy glass), the price jumps by nearly $20K to a solid $89,680.

Audi still sits in the waiting room for an extended warranty too: Its three-year/unlimited-kilometre plan is totally passé these days, although some compensation can be found in the just-announced, pre-paid five-year/75,000km servicing plan which costs owners (of petrol-engined A4s) $2700.

The Audi A4 was tickled around the edges in mid-2018 with revisions to the front and rear bodywork. S line variants gained new 19-inch wheels to work in with sports-tuned suspension, while cosmetic changes extended to extra brightwork around the grille and the lower section of a new front bumper, LED headlights, a new four-ringed Audi logo on the back door sills and red brake calipers.

The S line’s ride, despite the tighter suspension, remains absorbent and the steering is quick (2.75 turns from lock to lock) and well-controlled, right up there at the top of the class, with plenty of all-seasons grip from the quattro AWD system.

It’s quiet, too, and the 185kW/370Nm 45 TFSI 2.0-litre turbo (re-named in a general descriptive change that begins with the 110kW/250Nm 1.4-litre 35 TFSI and progresses through the 140kW/320Nm 2.0-litre 40 TFSI to the 45 TFSI reviewed here), delivers plenty of punch via the nicely intuitive seven-speed dual-clutch S tronic gearbox.

Disappointingly, the fuel economy recorded on test, at 9.3L/100km, fell well short of the official 6.3L/100km claim.

Accommodation is pretty good – among best-in-class though still not exceptional in the back – and the A4 is typically Audi in that it provides an accessible, clean boot (480 litres) free of space-eating protuberances. Rear seats folded, the mid-size sedan will accept as much as 965 litres of luggage.

The updated Audi A4 went on sale nationally in early 2019 and included both sedan and wagon variants. In the beleaguered mid-size passenger-car class (which, on year-to-date sales figures, is holding in own in terms of sales percentages so far this year) it sits well behind Mercedes-Benz C-Class and CLA-Class, and BMW 3 Series.

The quattro 45 TFSI Audi A4 S line, though it’s no RS 4, definitely leans towards the sports sedan spectrum.

It readily passes muster as a driver’s car, yet offers a degree of accommodation and luggage-carrying practicality that suit it to more proletarian uses as well. It’s even rated to tow as much as 1700kg, which is better than BMW 3 Series (1600kg) and IS Lexus (1500kg), but not quite as good as the Mercedes-Benz C-Class (1800kg).

As a mid-size luxury car, the Audi A4 fits the bill nicely, with full-time AWD a distinct advantage over its main competition.

Line the current-generation Audi A4 up against its Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Lexus and Jaguar rivals and there’s little question it retains the same qualities that have served it so well since its introduction three years ago.

What we don’t know yet, but are about to find out, is where it will sit against the next-gen BMW 3 Series which has just been launched locally.

The Audi A4’s like-minded competitors, such as the Mercedes-Benz C-Class (introduced in its current form in late 2014 and made-over early in 2018), BMW 3 Series (just moving into its seventh generation) and Lexus IS (introduced in its current form in 2013, with a fourth-generation model expected in 2020) are all clearly in a state of flux which, when it resolves soon, will undoubtedly alter the mid-size luxury segment pecking order.

When that happens, it could well make the once pace-setting (and named Best Prestige Car Under $100,000 in the 2016 Car of the Year awards) A4 seem like the old guy in the room.

The Audi A4 has long been a highly-respected mid-size luxury contender and the recent facelift has done nothing to dislodge this perception.

The options list, though nothing out of the ordinary in this segment, can look a bit overwhelming but is probably of minor concern to most potential buyers in the segment.
It’s a luxury-segment car that’s not hard to like.

How much does the 2019 Audi A4 45 TFSI quattro cost?
Price: $70,300 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 185kW/370Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 6.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 144g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP