Audi S4 Avant TDI great energetic wagon

The new car Audi S4 Avant TDI: great energetic wagon

The new car Audi S4 Avant TDI: great energetic wagon

the new car Audi S4. A classic ‘all the automotive you’ll ever need’.

Always has been. The Audi S4 is one in every of the world’s last letter cars. the delicate appearance however enough punches to check off a caiman. Big space, with neat’n’tidy handling. scores of pace, altogether weathers.It’s ne'er the primary automotive you park within the Dream Garage, however, though you had Associated in Nursing underground bunker brimmed with Bugattis and Paganis, you’d use Associate in Nursing S4 additional days than a platinum-plated Lambo-segg.

And currently, it’s steam-powered by diesel fuel?

Indeed. appears a weird move, doesn’t it? Audi was caught even as guilty as its Volkswagen parent within the dieselgate emissions-dodging scandal of 2015 and on the far side. the united kingdom has responded by avoidance diesel cars quicker than evicted Love Island contestants. to date in 2019, diesel’s share here has shrunken by nearly twenty percent, compared to 2018. And it tanked in 2018 too…

So, why is Audi still banging the diesel drum?

Because it sees a future in cars that have deep reserves of force to punt them on, and emit less carbonic acid gas than an automotive with a petroleum habit, whereas travel any on a tank. force is far additional helpful within the world than spiky top-end power. particularly during a spacious family wagon. Sounds familiar? They’re the explanations that Europe fell painfully soft on with TDIs within the 1st place. And still quite compelling, if you’re not a knee-jerk politician.

It’s economical then?

Officially, it’ll do thirty-nine.8mpg and emit 166g/km of carbonic acid gas on the new WLTP testing cycle. 

The new car Audi S4 Avant TDI: great energetic wagon

Is that it? Hardly box workplace stats. 

On the previous testing regime, any diesel that done for below 50mpg would’ve been a riant stock., however, the newest science lab tests are alleged to be additional realistic. As a result, you’ll stand a healthy likelihood of not simply matching what Audi’s web site claims, however beating it.Our S4 Avant take a look at automotive was often claiming over 40mpg. The previous gasoline V6 seldom climbed on top of thirty to the gallon. Job has done.

Bet it sounds pants. 

It doesn’t sound like a lot of in any respect. There’s a mistily six-pot rumble within the vista after you clog it. It sounds dearer than a four-cylinder diesel by a mile, however, it hardly justifies brandishing four polished tailpipes.Then again, the previous gasoline V6 was a few vocal events. At times, it had been even a small amount droney, in Dynamic mode. A small indefinite amount artificial, am fond of it was singing through autotune. therefore forget the noise argument. You’re missing out on negligible recreation, and going another number of hundred miles on a tank.

Bet it understeers therewith anchor behind the grille.

It’s additional leaden on turn-in than it accustomed to be. Ironic, very – once the previous S4 was launched Audi bragged that the new engine saved 14kg of front-axle weight. Whoops. But, that’s been remunerated for by a merely biblical wallop of force. within the previous automotive, you bought 369lb foot which felt sort of a heap. within the new S4, you’ve got 516lb foot. That’s quite a McLaren 600LT churns out.

So what? It’s Quattro-drive. Audi-speak for understeer…

Not this point. The S4’s sport differential, that claims to shuffle force to the wheel which will best deploy it, has been rousing within the S4 TDI. Before now, the automotive was, therefore, tractable it had been not possible to feel the diff doing its issue. however currently it needs to distribute a volcano of force, there’s a way that the rear wheels are powering the automotive out of a corner because the body hunkers down. It’s very punchy and feels agile on the throttle. sort of a smaller, wieldier SQ7 if truth be told – that is one in every of prime Gear’s favorite quick massive SUVs. 

Is it truly quick?

Quick enough. On paper, it’s got 342bhp – a few of nags down from the petrol-swigging S4. On the clock, it will 0-62mph in four.9 seconds – a twin of the gasoline version. the highest speed remains pegged at 155mph.Does it feel as quick? No. however that’s not the engine’s fault – it’s power-assisted by electrical anti-lag turbo technology steam-powered by a 48-volt mild-hybrid battery system. At speed, the S4 will coast engine-off for up to forty seconds. Meanwhile, stop-start engine response is instant and also the turbo’s seldom caught unready. What lets the aspect down most is that the eight-speed automatic casing.Audi – just like the whole VW cluster, and alternative makers besides – has very struggled to create its once-peerless autos behave once shifting on a replacement WLTP-friendly strategy. It’s swift enough on the paddles, however, the automated mode is unconventional. Too keen to shift to high gears timely, it slurs the kick down, and selects second or maybe 1st gears for delicate prods of the throttle. What’s the purpose of having eight speeds and everyone that force if the casing thinks it’s connected to a food blender?

Anything else?

The rest of the S4 is what we tend to likable warmly before. The boot’s large, it’s snug, the inside is plush and complicated, tho' we’d swap the new touchscreen for the previous click wheel-mit-buttons set-up during a heartbeat. The new honeycomb-mesh grille appearance tidy too – colorful, however not at the value of the Audi S4’s hiding.Shifting the S4 to diesel has conjointly done Audi favor – it places some daylight it between it and also the gasoline V6 RS4, which has struggled to return across as quite Associate in Nursing S4-plus.

Engine: 3.0-litre turbodiesel V6, 342bhp, 516lb ft
Efficiency: 166g/km
Performance: 0-62mph in four.9sec, 155mph
Weight: 1825kg
Price: £49,000 approx