Audi A4 35 TFSI S line 2020 Review

It has been 25 years since the Audi A4 first graced Australian showrooms and the formula for the German brand’s enduring BMW 3 Series rival remains the same today as it was at its introduction.

What has changed is the ever-increasing popularity of high-riding SUVs, which has seen the popularity of the Audi A4 dwindle in recent years. Even so, there is still a strong degree of sentimentalism attached to Audi’s one-time volume-seller. Cue the 2020 Audi A4 facelift, which was launched a full year ago in Europe.

The venerable A4 Sedan, A4 Avant and A4 allroad trio has undergone a mid-life makeover, presenting a reworked design, a new mild-hybrid (MHEV) system for petrol variants, new technology and safety.
Let’s put them to work.

The entry-level 2020 Audi A4 35 TFSI sedan anchors the range at $55,900 plus on-road costs – a circa $10,000 saving when compared to its nearest BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class competitors.

We covered the nuts and bolts of each A4 variant in a separate pricing story earlier this month but, essentially, the entry A4 sedan gets as standard: adaptive LED headlights, 19-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry/start, sports suspension, electric driver’s seat with four-way lumbar support, three-zone climate control, digital radio, wireless phone charging and leather-appointed upholstery.

Inside resides a new 10.1-inch touch-screen display that does away with the previous model’s finicky MMI rotary dial to liberate more space for odds and ends.

Moving up in the range is the Audi A4 35 TFSI S line sedan driven here, priced from $59,900 plus ORCs. The S line adds equipment such as an S line exterior package, a 12.3-inch virtual cockpit display instrument cluster, sport front seats, auto-dimming rear view mirrors and side mirrors, illuminated aluminium door sill trims.

The new Audi A4 is backed by a five-star ANCAP safety rating (from 2015). The latest model incorporates autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, eight airbags, side assist lane, change warning, exit warning system, cross traffic assist rear, parking system plus with reversing camera, tyre pressure monitor and pre-sense rear. Adaptive cruise control is part of an optional package for all A4 models.

Sedan variants offer 460 litres of boot space while the Avant (which costs $1500 extra) and allroad wagons come with 495 litres, extending to 1495 litres with the rear seats folded.

As is customary in this space, the new A4 range is offered with a swag of optional accessory packages.
The $1900 Assistance package is available with the 35 TFSI sedan, bringing adaptive cruise control, active lane assist and high-beam assist.

The $2900 Assistance package plus is available for the 35 TFSI S line sedan and 45 TFSI quattro sedan, avant and allroad, bringing adaptive cruise control, active lane assist, high beam assist, head-up display, 360-degree overhead camera and park assist.

There’s also a $2100 S line interior package available on 45 TFSI quattro sedan and Avant, which brings Nappa leather, black headlining and ambient colour lighting.

The Audi A4 range is backed by a three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. Audi also offers a service plan package set across 12-month/15,000km intervals.

For petrol variants, the service plan package is priced at $1710 for three years or $2720 for five years. For the diesel 40 TDI allroad, the service plan package is priced at $2050 for three years or $3190 for five years.

The regular Audi A4 range comes standard with a space-saver spare tyre.

The fifth-generation Audi A4 launched in 2016 measures 24mm longer and 5mm wider than its predecessor, liberating more interior space, and incorporates a new design with more muscular guards, a lower-set shoulder line and a broader rear-end.

The facelifted 2020 model first revealed in Germany in May 2019 brought a wider single-frame grille and new LED headlights, plus the interior tech updates listed above.

The entry Audi A4 35 TFSI and 35 TFSI S line models are now fitted with a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder (up from 1.4-litre) that makes 110kW and 270Nm. They shuffle drive to the front wheels only via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, correlating with a nought to 100km/h dash of 8.9 seconds.

Both incorporate a 12-volt mild-hybrid (MHEV) system which is claimed to save up to 0.3L/100kmm helping to reduce claimed fuel consumption to 6.1L/100km combined.

Running off a separate lithium-ion battery, the MHEV system restarts the engine after coasting at speeds above 55km/h, and also enables an idle-stop function at speeds below 22km/h, restarting the engine when the accelerator is pressed.

The Audi A4 range rides as standard on five-link front and rear suspension, wrought largely from aluminium components. Steel suspension is standard, with adaptive dampers part of the optional accessories catalogue.

Slipping into the driver’s chair of even an entry-level Audi A4 nowadays is a cosseting and pleasant experience.

The dashboard bristles with its new 10.1-inch centre display, and the deletion of the old MMI rotary dial has liberated more space for odds and ends, as well as cultivating a clean and minimalist cabin environment.

Those traits are augmented in the case of our Audi A4 35 TFSI S line, which upstages the base car with the fitment of Audi’s ubiquitous ‘virtual cockpit’ instrument display.

In basic terms, it’s one of the best in the business, providing clear and legible readouts and an easy way to navigate the A4’s myriad infotainment, sat-nav and safety systems.

New technology aside, the Audi A4 offers cabin proportions commensurate with a mid-size sedan. Rear-seat space allows comfortable passage of two six-foot occupants, while all corners of the cabin are treated to deep door pockets, decent incidental storage and the like.

There are elements of cost-cutting in the form of harder plastics in some areas, but the same can be said of the Audi’s German competitors.

Entry cars feature two USB ports up front and a 12-volt outlet in the second row, which is equipped with separate face-level air-vents. Naturally, there are ISOFIX anchors and top-tether points for child seats across the second row.

The 460-litre boot is accessed via a moderately sized opening and features a luggage net to stop items from moving around. Split-fold seats liberate space for longer items.

There is no wholesale change to the ride and handling package for the updated Audi A4 – that’s not exactly a terrible thing.

As ever, the steering is light at low speeds, the engine delivers a strong mix of efficiency and turbo four-pot performance, and there is an air of refinement and civility to the cabin that makes it well suited for most driving duties.

But with the classy G20-generation BMW 3 Series raising the bar at its introduction last year, the A4 is left behind in some respects. There’s a niggling tendency to thud over road joins and broken bitumen, and road noise is ever-present on coarse-chip surfaces.

In addition, the low-speed ride was choppy at times on our test car, on standard springs and fixed dampers.

While the move to a larger-displacement engine in the entry A4 35 TFSI has delivered a more linear spread of power, the four-cylinder is still prone to some low-down hesitation – a symptom of its dual-clutch automatic transmission and some turbo-lag.

Once the engine is spinning, however, power is tractable and plentiful, the 2.0-litre revving freely until its circa-6000rpm cut-out.

Once the car is in motion, the seven-speed dual-clutch auto will happily slice through the gears with clinical precision, or slur its changes in search of efficiency if you’re unenthusiastic with the throttle.

The seven ratios are well spaced top gear translates to sub-2000rpm highway work, although we recorded fuel consumption of 9.2L/100km during our drive in mostly urban conditions.

On the other side of the coin, the base engine delivers a claimed 0-100km/h time of 8.9 seconds, which is spritely more than it is fast.

The Audi A4 35 TFSI S line performs admirably through the corners given it is an entry-level executive sedan.

Body control is strong and it responds confidently to fast changes in direction despite its circa 1700kg mass, while grippy Pirelli P Zero tyres instill confidence on soggy roads and the electronics act swiftly when called upon.

Ultimately, the A4 does not emulate the 3 Series’ more enthusiast-focussed rear-drive dynamics and more communicative steering on a twisty road. But it’s an engaging and competent machine nonetheless.

There’s no doubting the 2020 Audi A4 updates amount to a better rounded and more convincing package. But as a midlife makeover, it was never going to reset the mould like the original B5 A4 of 1994, nor set any new benchmarks in the company of the excellent G20-generation 3 Series.

But the updated Audi A4 does represent a solid point of entry into the mid-size German triumvirate. And in the face of the SUV crowd, it remains an aspirational purchase as well – a sign to the world that you’re doing OK.

Even after 25 years, some things never change.

How much does the 2020 Audi A4 35 TFSI S line cost?
Price: $59,900 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 110kW/270Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 6.1L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 167g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2015)