The new Audi A4 and S4 Cabriolet-Part 1

Dynamism and design

The new Audi A4 Cabriolet

An enjoyable and sporty driving experience, superior and complex technology, classic and exciting styling, and luxury that even satisfies the demands made in the luxury class: Audi is presenting the new generation of a car that has become a classic – the A4 Cabriolet.

The advent of a new model generation is evident at first glance: the open-top four-seater now has the single-frame grille that typifies the brand. The newly styled rear lights add a further visual touch. The car’s taut styling, clear surfaces and tension-packed shoulder line extending along the entire body are characteristic features of the A4 Cabriolet.

The car’s technology lives up to the promise made by its new styling: the A4 Cabriolet is being launched with four engines, three of which are being offered for the Audi A4 Cabriolet for the very first time. FSI and turbo FSI technology represent the most advanced state of the art for petrol engines, as do the ultramodern piezo injectors in the three-litre TDI, which is already familiar from the A4, A6 and A8. The sporty yet comfortable dynamic suspension converts the power delivered by these units into sheer driving pleasure – on every bend, on every mile of the journey.

Innovative and highly sophisticated technologies are an integral part of practically all vehicle areas and components: the optional xenon plus headlights, with dynamic cornering lights as an option, are proof of this, as indeed is quattro permanent four-wheel drive.

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JUGNU - 9/9/2005 8:05:16 AM

+2 Boost

It's good to make little changes atleast after 2 - 3 years.Germans. [Japan make more than little changes every year to their entire line-ups]

Nice front and rear bumper.Front bumper looks like that of Cayman.

Overall = OK

JUGNU - 9/9/2005 8:05:16 AM

0 Boost

Steve - 9/9/2005 3:14:21 PM

+2 Boost

Audi is a strange breed that creates vehicles that are arguably comparable to BMW, have better "quality" numbers, and yet, have the presence of a Volkswagen.

If Audi wants to dominate the luxury market, they need to *look* like a luxury car. In my subjective opinion, Audi's exterior is understated to the point of being stark, or worse still, perhaps "boring"? Their interior has a classic layout for the dash, and good ergonomics (read "lack of BMW's gizmos and gadgets"), but the gray plastics they use make them seem cheap, even though they are not.

It's as though Audi wants to give the impression, through appearance, that they are not nearly as good as they truly are. That's "understated" working against you.

Steve - 9/9/2005 3:14:21 PM

0 Boost

Anim8or - 9/12/2005 8:00:18 PM

+2 Boost

Audi is the world’s fastest growing luxury carmaker.

- Audi August worldwide sales were up 18.5%. This is the highest of any luxury brand (including BMW & Merc). (Source: Audi fiscal report to shareholders)

- Audi is the fastest growing premium car maker in the world (source: BusinessWeek's top 100 world brands).

- Audi sold more cars in Europe than either BMW or Merc for Q1 2005. Even last month, the A6 outsold all cars in its class (including the BMW 5 series). (Source: Edmunds.com European sales study).

- Audi has 3 models in Europe's most reliable cars top 10 (BMW and especially Merc have none).

- Audi is doing poorly in America (although sales are projected to almost double by 2010). But America is not the world. So anyone assessing Audi’s success by siting American sales figures is being simpleminded. Audi set sales records in 35 of its markets worldwide last month. (Source: Audi fiscal report to shareholders)

- Audi routinely beats both BMW and Merc in European car magazines. Even American car mags usually have Audi win against its German rivals (S4 wins over the M3 etc, etc, etc).

Now I must again state for the record that I find both BMW and Merc to be excellent brands that deserve their success (despite BMW becoming a yuppie cliche, and Merc becoming a sales and reliability disaster).

But Audi is now a bonafide tier-one powerhouse, with the recent Audi models (A8, new A6, RS4) actually surpassing BMW and Merc in many ways (worldwide sales, reliability, awards, safety).

I track the auto industry closely through market data obtained by industry trade magazines (no, not just Car& Driver, but the Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, and the Economist).

Anyone who claims that Audi is a 'joke', or worse, a dressed up VW (absurd considering the A4 and A6 are their own unique platforms), is simply a biased fool who knows nothing about the auto industry.

The plain truth is this: Audi is a massive success. And judging by its industry-leading growth, will become the #1 luxury car maker by 2010. These isn’t naïve fan-boy rant. It’s a well-researched projection based on cold hard facts.

Audi is here to stay.

Get used to it.

Anim8or - 9/14/2005 7:18:37 PM

+2 Boost

B7 A4 vs. B8 A4....

Some people have commented that the new A4 design is not as sleek as it could have been. There is a specific reason for this:

This current A4 (B7 platform) is an interim design. Audi had to balance two things: create an extensive enough facelift to freshen up the model, but simultaneously hold back so as to not compete with the real A4 redesign currently in development.

When it was time to facelift the current model A4, Audi already knew what the next generation A4 was going to look like. So they strategically held back. More progressive design elements such as a single upward sweep from front-to-back, and the deletion of door strips, will be seen on the next model. Yet some of the future model's design elements were introduced evolutionarily into this facelift. Of most note are the head and tail-light designs.

The next A4 (B8 platform) is now in the final development stages of both chassis/drivetrain and exterior/interior design. It will feature an extensive suite of new technology and power improvements.

We will get our first look at the B8 platform when the A5 coupe is released within 2 years.

Neverfollow - 9/15/2005 4:18:27 PM

+2 Boost

I think this is a much more aggressive looking car with the B7 front end, especially if they do an S-line version of it. I never had a problem with the rear of the car to begin with so I'm glad they left well enough alone. The big news here is what will happen under the skin of this car. All of the refinements of the B7 sedan, mainly the increased power of the 2.0T engine will give a big boost of much needed power for this heavy car. The steering and brake systems from the S4 will also be welcome. If you haven't driven a B7 yet with the S-line suspension, you won't believe the differenct from the B6 version. It is MUCH smoother with no apparent sacrifice in handling. I can only hope that the A6 rear suspension will also be mounted to the cabrio as well. I think an A4 2.0T with an S-line package should be a very good value. The 3.2 will be nice, but I would rather see them bring us the 3.0TDI quattro instead. That would be a great move for Audi. They would be the first to market in the US with a fuel efficient diesel cabrio with great performance to match the economy. Do you hear me Ingolstadt? We want that engine for a whole bunch of cars over here. We also want that big one you keep hiding in the A8L over there too. Maybe then you can back up that "Never Follow" thing with some real substance!