Greener A4 With Plenty Of Pull

The Age

Saturday December 27, 2008

Bruce Newton

The Audi A4 gets a bigger diesel engine, writes Bruce Newton.

THE latest Audi A4 variant to be released here is the V6 3.0-litre turbo-diesel (or TDI) version with quattro all-wheel-drive and Tiptronic six-speed auto.

WHAT DO YOU GET?

Due to the green threshold in the new luxury car tax, the A4 3.0 TDI now undercuts its 3.2FSI petrol model. At $86,058, the 3.0TDI undercuts the $95,956 Benz C320 CDI Avantgarde but not BMW's $75,888 520d.

Standard A4 3.0 TDI equipment includes leather trim, tri-zone climate control, xenon headlights, 10-speaker six-CD audio, alloy wheels, keyless entry and start, powered front seats, an electric parking brake and Bluetooth. But sat-nav should be standard. We'd prefer a full-sized rather than temporary spare.

HOW SAFE?

A five-star Euro NCAP independent crash test performer, the A4 comes equipped with eight airbags, stability and traction control and ABS. Front and rear parking sensors aid safety.

WHAT'S INSIDE?

The interior of the A4 is both tasteful and spacious. Rear adult passengers have no problem with knee and leg space.

Storage is merely adequate, as there are no seatback pockets. There are door bins (front and back) with bottleholders and a fold-down centre armrest. Split-fold rear seats increase boot size from 480 litres to 962. Four D-rings act as tie-down points.

The dash's centre stack is dominated by the media screen and MIM mouse controller,although without sat-nav it seems overkill.

The front seats are large, comfortable and bolstered, but also quite broad, so there's some movement in corners. The steering wheel is manually reach and rake adjustableand the driver's seat fully power-adjustable.

UNDER THE BONNET

Thoroughly revised with a new turbo and intercooler, Audi's 3.0-litre V6 now makes 176kW at 4000rpm and a truly impressive 500Nm between 1500 and 3000rpm. It's this immense amount of pulling power, combined with the engine's sweet nature, that makes it a true alternate to petrol V6s - and even V8s.

There is plenty of effortless urge. Working with a deftly tuned throttle and six-speed auto, the TDI flattens hills and makes overtaking easy, making manual paddle-shifts virtually pointless. There's very little diesel clatter or vibration, only the low 4500rpm redline indicating a diesel. Rewards arrive at the fuel pump. Audi claims 6.9L/100km and we achieved an outstanding 8.1L/100km over 800 kilometres of mixed driving. Emissions are excellent, Audi claiming 182g CO2 and our consumption result equating to 214g.

ON THE ROAD

Our 3.0 TDI was fitted with "drive select" - electronic adjustment of the steering, engine,transmission and dampers between comfort and dynamic mode. Or it can be left in auto mode. It felt controlled and athletic when driven with some vigour. The ride also retained an edge to it, never quite settling over sharp edges and stuttery sections of tarmac. Dynamic steering was also fitted to the car. This is variable power steering that combines with ESC to stabilise the car when driven on the limit. The steering had its awkward moments, changing weighting quitenoticeably and suddenly a couple of times. All in all, these gizmos were unconvincing, particularly as they add $5826.

VERDICT 3.5/5

The A4 3.0 TDI is a thoroughly likeable andbona fide alternative to traditional V6 andV8 petrol prestige and luxury cars. There's performance, style, quality and

space.

AUDI A4 3.0 TDI QUATTRO TIPTRONIC

PRICE: From $86,058

ENGINE: 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel;

176kW/500Nm

FUEL USE: 6.9L/100km

EMISSIONS: 182g CO2/km.

© 2008 The Age

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