Audi makes some modest but notable changes to the A4 and S4 for the upcoming model-year.
It’s never easy to go up against a powerhouse like the BMW 3-Series, and that’s especially true when an all-new version of the Bavarian juggernaut is getting ready to roll into showrooms. So, it’s understandable why Audi is also getting ready for a mid-cycle update of its own compact luxury line, with updated A4 and S4 models slated for 2012.
Don’t expect anything radical. Audi isn’t tearing up the blueprints and starting over. The basic dimensions remain largely the same. The new model is stretched by a few millimeters – unlike the 3-Series, which grows substantially for 2012. But Audi aficionados will recognize there are some significant changes, nonetheless.
The most distinctive, however, will be found under the hood, with a range of new or modified engines for the global line-up expected to deliver both better mileage and improved horsepower and torque. New Stop/Start technology is one way Audi has been able to pull off that seemingly incongruous improvement.
Some of the biggest changes for 2012 come under the hood, with an array of updated engines.
From a visual standpoint, most of the sheet metal on the 2012 Audi A4 and S4 models has gone through at least some minor tweaking, including hood and bumpers, as well as the front fascia. Audi’s trend-setting LED headlamps have adopted a subtle wave in other recent models and that look now carries into the maker’s compact line. The taillights have also been revised and all models now come with twin exhaust.
The overall redesign can best be described as familial, though you won’t confuse an S4 with an A7.
And to help separate an A4 from an S4 note that the sporty, 6-cylinder-powered S-line features a black painted grille while the more mainstream models are grey.
The new A4 and S4 get revised steering wheels and an updated MMI system.
Audi has long been considered the benchmark for interior design and the maker pushes to maintain the lead with the 2012 A4 and S4 updates. The steering wheels are new. There are tweaks and refinements to the cabin finishes, with chrome and gloss inlays, and the Multimedia Interface, or MMI, migrates to a simplified design closer to that of the A7 and A8. The ever-so-slight exterior changes result in improved cabin space, meanwhile.
The new engine line-up includes a 134 horsepower turbo-diesel that will yield something on the order of 54 mpg Highway on the European test cycle. Sadly, it’s not likely to make it here to the States. The S4 will boast a 3.0-liter TFSI making 328 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque – again, in Euro-spec. Audi claims it will launch from 0 to 60 in under 5 seconds and still make in the neighborhood of 28 mpg.
The Audi A4 Allroad will be back for 2012 and may come to the States.
The most likely engine for the American A4 will be a 2.0-liter turbocharged gas I-4 making 211-hp. There are some rumors suggesting we might also see a 1.8-liter I-4, as well.
The gearbox range runs from a 6-speed manual to a 7-speed dual clutch, with a CVT and 8-speed automatic thrown into the range, as well. Audi will offer both front-wheel and all-wheel-drive packages.
The suspension has been revised, as well, and there’s a new electromechanical steering system that is claimed to enhance the 2012 Audi A4’s road feel.
The standard-issue A4 sedan will be accompanied by a reborn Audi A4 Allroad, and there appears to be a strong change U.S. dealers will be carrying that crossover/wagon, as well.
While the updated Audi A4 will be available in Europe as a 2012 we may not get it in the States until later in the year – with the new model designated a 2013.