New Audi A4 confirmed for 2015

Audi's top-selling vehicle, the A4, is being primed for manufacture ahead of its rollout in 2015 after the company confirmed production models for next year -- but it won't go on sale in Australia until 2016.

The fifth-generation A4's 2015 launch was verified as the company celebrated the 20th anniversary of the A4 nameplate at its Ingolstadt plant, as workers gathered to observe the most successful Audi of all time – more than six million A4s have been built since October 1994.

The German prestige car-maker will base the new-generation A4 on the Volkswagen Group's scalable MLB platform, which allows for front and all-wheel drive and will see the car retain longitudinal engine alignment.

Audi must advance the A4 to new levels in order to rival the current Mercedes-Benz C-Class, which sets new standards in terms of luxury appointments and the integration of technology.

According to Audi, its manufacturing base in Ingolstadt "is currently preparing for production of the fifth-generation A4, which will be launched in 2015" and these preparations are expected to usher in a raft of new features.

"Numerous construction changes and other modernisations are necessary for the new model," continues the Audi press statement. "In the new body shop in the northern part of the plant site, for example, more than 1,300 machines such as robots and welding guns are being installed."

Despite the changes being made to the body shop, recent spy photos suggest the next Audi A4 will retain the current car's profile. And while Audi is clearly not planning on rocking the boat in a stylistic sense, expect significant detail changes to give the car a more technical look and feel, particularly the integration of LED lighting.

During 2013, the Audi A4 found 235,582 homes globally, outselling the Audi Q5 by less than 2000 units. The A4 thus accounted for more than one in five sales for the four-ringed brand in 2013, or 21.6 per cent of sales.

The new model cannot come soon enough for Audi Australia. During the first nine months of 2014 the A4 has sold 2115 units in Australia, for a 13.7 per cent share of the medium luxury car segment and well behind its German rivals.

The A4 is the third best-selling model in this segment so far in 2014 but only just ahead of the fourth-placed Lexus IS on 2074  sales (13.5 per cent). The BMW 3 Series is second on 3473 (22.6 per cent) and the Benz C-Class leads with 3519 sales (22.9 per cent). Expect the new generation Audi A4 to arrive in Australia sometime in the first half of 2016.