THREE years is an eternity in the automotive world, and two of the stars of 2005 – BMW’s E90 3 Series and the Lexus IS250 – are now under massive attack from last year’s own (three-pointed) star attraction, the Mercedes W204 C-class. But, hang on, what’s this? Is Audi trying yet again with another A4? Could the all-new B8 possibly hope to compete against the others for driver appeal, ride comfort, cabin space and value for money? Previous versions often fell well short. However, after sampling a cross-section, the latest A4 could well be the one that finally catches up with the competition. Audi’s time, it seems, is now.

Audi B7 A4
Released: March 2005
Ended: April 2008
Family Tree: A4A comprehensive facelift and re-engineering of the B6-series A4, the B7 was the Audi that tried too hard to be like BMW. So while its steering and handling rated more highly than before (if not up to BMW standards anyway), the B7’s ride ranked from firm to unacceptably hard in all models bar the otherworldly RS4. Some folk also found the styling was a little messy compared to the elegant lines that were previously an A4 hallmark. Offered in a bewildering array of engine and model configurations, the B7 kicked off with a front-drive 96kW/195Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, followed by a FWD or quattro 120kW/225Nm 1.8-litre turbo 1.8T range, FWD or quattro 147kW/225Nm or 147kW/280Nm high-performance 2.0 TFSI turbo range, and FWD and quattro 188kW/330Nm 3.2 V6 petrol range. Diesel also finally made it onto Australian-bound A4s with the FWD 103kW/320Nm 2.0 TDI four-cylinder and quattro 171kW/450Nm 3.0 TDI V6 diesel. Gearbox choices included five or six-speed manuals, a six-speed Tiptronic with quattro or a Multitronic CVT for FWD A4s.
Facebook Twitter Instagram