WASHINGTON — It’s been some time since the popular Audi A4 was given a facelift and a serious rework.
But for 2017, Audi went back to the drawing board to redo the entire car, in an attempt to step to the front of the class in the crowded small luxury sedan market.
Gone are the days when this class was just a few German sedans going after one another. It’s a truly global race, with very good offerings from America and Japan; even Italy and Britain are jumping in.
This new Audi A4 isn’t very small at all. It seems to be almost a midsize luxury sedan — one of the big benefits for passengers in this redesign. The rear seats can now handle taller adult riders without moving the front seats forward.
The rest of the interior is also a step up from before, with improved materials used throughout the cabin. My tester’s interior was helped by the pricey $8,600 Prestige package, which has heated power front seats that are supportive without being too firm. The Bang & Olufsen surround system sounded good — clear and crisp even at higher volumes.
The normal gauges for the driver also have been replaced with the virtual cockpit that houses the gauges and the NAV screen; it looks very good. That MMI NAV and MMI touch wheel is also improved. After a few minutes of practice, I found it easy to use, and fingers fall at the perfect place to use it. I wish the center screen were retractable, like on some other Audi products.
The 2017 Audi A4 seems like a lighter vehicle even though it’s bigger than before. The 2.0L four-cylinder turbo engine seems peppy and moves this sedan well. But there is some lazy throttle in normal driving, which I noticed a few times when accelerating from a stop. An extra push with the right foot fixed that, but it was just a bit more pressure than other cars need.
I can’t complain about the ride, even with larger 18-inch wheels; it’s a touch sportier than most, but without being harsh on rough surfaces and good for daily driving. The car seems more hushed than before, with less road noise than in previous generations. But the steering didn’t seem to talk to me or communicate as much as before with the A4, and it feels more luxury than sporty.
The fuel economy isn’t too shabby for an AWD car: I managed 28.1 mpg of mixed driving and a little bit better than the 27 mpg on the sticker.
While the car is completely redone for 2017, the exterior doesn’t stray very far from the last A4. The front end is more modern with wider and sleek-looking LED headlights. The grill seems bigger and more aggressive than the last A4. But this new A4 looks more sculpted and fit with a trimmer and tidier appearance, even if it’s larger.
When looking at it from the side, it really looks hunkered down and low to the ground. Those 18-inch wheels look like the right size for this car, and the flared wheel arches give it a more sporty appearance as well. The rear-end styling isn’t as exciting, but there is dual exhaust, and the rear bumper seems a little flashy with the lower egg-crate effect above the exhaust tips.
Audi has taken its popular A4 small luxury sedan and made it bigger and faster, with updated technology and safer than before.
With a fuel-efficient turbo engine and available Quattro AWD starting around $40,000, this new Audi A4 makes a serious case for being a top contender in the small luxury sedan race.
Mike Parris is a member of the Washington Automotive Press Association. The vehicles are provided by STI, FMI or Event Solutions for the purpose of this review.
