Audi pushes quattro A4 and S5

The rise and rise of quattro has been underlined by Audi’s decision to bolster the four-cylinder all-wheel drive line-up in its ageing A4 and A5 ranges.

Several front-wheel drive models have also been deleted or shifted to a ‘special order only’ basis, while there have also been price cuts of up to $7800 applied to the A5.

The new four-cylinder quattros employ a 130kW/380Nm TDI turbo-diesel 2.0-litre first seen here in the A4 Allroad, while existing turbo-petrol 2.0-litre TFSI quattro models have been upgraded from 155kW to 165kW (torque is unchanged at 350Nm).

The launch of Audi’s new A4 and A5 quattros coincides with the decision to make the local Q3 compact SUV range all quattro.

The fastest 2.0 TDI quattro variant, the A5 coupe dual clutch S tronic, reaches 100km/h from rest in 7.8 seconds and consumes diesel at a claimed 5.3 litres per 100km.

The A5 coupe and A4 sedan are the fastest and most efficient 2.0 TFSI quattros, sprinting to 100km/h in 6.4 seconds (0.1 sec faster) and consuming 6.7 litres per 100km (an improvement of 0.3L/100km). 

Quattro has risen from 26 per cent of Audi sales in Australia in 2004 to 67 per cent in 2013. And while much of that growth can be accounted for by the ‘Q’ family of SUVs, all-wheel drive passenger car purchases have also increased in that time.

Nearly 60 per cent of both A4 sedan and Avant (wagon) and A5 Coupe, Cabrio and Sportback five-door sales are quattro.

“There is a definite focus from our [global] board to focus on quattro now,” Audi Australia managing director Andrew Doyle told motoring.com.au. “It is one of our enduring unique selling propositions. It is something we pioneered more than 30 years ago and it’s the right thing to focus on.

“There is still a place for front-wheel drive,” he added. “It’s more that we haven’t been able to offer quattro in that level before. Now we can with the right opportunities.”

A4 and A5 sales are down year-on-year, reflecting their age. An all-new ‘B9’ A4 is due in 2014 and the second generation A5 family is expected to start rolling out in 2015.

Doyle said the new quattro models were expected to hold rather than boost A4 and A5 sales: “I think we can certainly maintain volumes over the next year or so. The car looks good, is fresh and offers good value... We are comfortable with that. Our head office is comfortable with that.”

The new A4 TFSI quattro sedan manual retails for $63,000 and the S tronic dual-clutch for $65,800. The Avant (S tronic only) is $68,800. That’s a rise of $1300 for all three cars. The new A4 TDI quattro S tronic sedan is $65,800.

The Avant 2.0 TDI remains a front-wheel drive Multitronic (CVT) combination and is special order only, as is the sedan version. What was the cheapest model in the sedan range, the 1.8 TFSI manual, has been dropped, as has the 3.0 TDI Multitronic.

Apart from the updated petrol quattros, A4 price rises are limited to $500. Some cars are unchanged in price and the supercharged V6 S4 actually drops $500.

Like the A4, the combination of quattro and 2.0 TDI is new for the A5 coupe and Sportback. The TFSI direct and indirect injection petrol engine also flows into the cabrio but the 2.0 diesel remains a front-wheel drive Multitronic and is special order only.

Most A5 models drop in price and all have benefited from added equipment. The most dramatically improved is the 2.0 TFSI quattro S tronic, which reduces by $7300 to $75,900 (coupe and Sportback - $89,100 cabrio) and adds a claimed $2000 worth of extra equipment. The new TDI quattro Coupe and Sportback S tronic are also $75,900.

New gear in all quattro models includes parking system plus with a rear camera, while the entry-level A4 and A5 1.8 TFSI Multitronics add three-zone climate control and a colour driver information system. All 3.0-litre V6 models also come standard now with S Line exterior packaging.

A4 Avant
A4 1.8 TFSI Multitronic 125 kW $58,500
A4 2.0 TDI Multitronic (special order only) 130kW $60,900
A4 2.0 TFSI quattro S tronic 165kW $68,800
A4 allroad 2.0 TDI quattro S tronic 130kW $69,900
S4 Avant 3.0 TFSI quattro S tronic 245kW $123,400
RS 4 Avant 4.2 FSI quattro S tronic 331kW $149,400 

A5 Coupe and Sportback
A5 1.8 TFSI Multitronic 125 kW $64,200
A5 2.0 TDI Multitronic (special order only) 130kW $65,700
A5 2.0 TDI quattro S tronic 130kW $75,900
A5 2.0 TFSI quattro manual 165kW $74,000
A5 2.0 TFSI quattro S tronic 165kW $75,900
A5 3.0 TDI quattro S tronic 180kW $93,800
A5 3.0 TFSI quattro S tronic 200kW $98,400
S5 3.0 TFSI quattro S tronic 245kW $135,400 

A5 Cabriolet
A5 1.8 TFSI Multitronic 125 kW $75,800
A5 2.0 TDI Multitronic (special order only) 130kW $77,900
A5 2.0 TFSI quattro S tronic 165kW $89,100
A5 3.0 TDI quattro S tronic 180kW $106,700
A5 3.0 TFSI quattro S tronic 200kW $110,500
S5 3.0 TFSI quattro S tronic 245kW $146,000   

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