The Audi A4 features a "virtual cockpit" with Google Earth style navigation graphics.
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Fast facts
- Model: 2017 Audi A4 2.0T Quattro - Exterior color: Manhattan Gray Metallic - Interior color: Black - Engine: 2.0-liter, four-cylinder turbo - Horsepower: 252 - Transmission: seven-speed automatic - Fuel economy: 31 mpg highway, 24 mpg city - Local Dealer: Audi Chattanooga - Price (as tested): $54,275
Business on the outside, party on the inside: That could be the tag line for the 2017 Audi A4 small luxury sedan.
The A4 has been completely redesigned for 2017, and although the exterior design changes are subtle - a nip, here; a tuck, there - the interior is a showcase of advanced automotive technology and dazzling interior architecture.
Outside, the Audi A4 looks like a car dressed in a gray flannel suit. Conservatively cut with crisp creases, the A4's sheet metal is designed not so much to turn heads as to provide camouflage for its sports car performance. The A4 clocks a 5.3-second time in the zero-to-60 mph dash.
Inside, it's a different story.
There's nothing stodgy about the A4's riot of ambient lights and its ground-breaking "virtual cockpit" gauges. The high-tech cockpit is highlighted by a Google-Earth-style navigation system that makes it seem as though you have a personal surveillance drone hovering 100 feet above the car.
All this gadgetry comes at a price. Our top-of-the-line A4 Prestige Quattro tester lists for $54,275. A base Premium model sells for $34,900, and a mid-tier Premium Plus trim A4 starts at $38,700 before options.
Several A4s are available this week at Audi Chattanooga on International Drive.
STYLING AND FEATURES
As a consequence of their conservative styling, Audis have a timelessness that appeals to buy-and-hold customers who plan to drive their vehicles beyond 100,000 miles.
An eight-bar chrome grill tapers into a lightly sculpted hood. A squiggle of LED lights lends nighttime personality to the A4. Our Prestige A4 has two-tone, five-spoke, 18-inch wheels that show off the car's oversized brake rotors. Chrome window borders are a classy touch. Meanwhile, the rear third of the A4 is especially well-tailored, and the deck-lid includes a tiny sculpted spoiler.
Basic features on the A4 are a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder turbocharged engine and a slick-shifting seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission. Quattro models, such as our tester, add Audi's excellent all-wheel-drive system which boosts performance and also serves as an insurance policy for snow days.
Comfort and convenience features are on display inside the sedan. The leather-covered seats are well padded and bolstered so you won't slide around when you put the A4 Quattro through its paces on our Chattanooga-area mountain roads.
The dash, home of that snazzy virtual cockpit, is marked by a 12.3-inch virtual gauge cluster that uses LCD technology to mimic a traditional analog tachometer and speedometer. These virtual gauges can be sized to your liking.
The satellite-based navigation system is a wonder. Instead of a traditional, two-dimensional map, the navigation system projects actual trees and roadside structures as seen from above. Roads appear to be populated with tiny cars.
Stepping up from the Premium trim level to Premium Plus buys a 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system and the virtual cockpit features. Our Prestige models adds a head-up display that keeps the speed limit in the driver's view at all times. Prestige models also get more ambient light strips, HD radio and surround-view parking. An $1,800 driver assistance package nets adaptive cruise control, active lane assist and traffic sign recognition.
DRIVING EXPERIENCE
It's hard to overstate how quiet this car is. The 2.0-liter turbo is whisper quiet. Even under hard acceleration, it doesn't raise a ruckus. There is a touch of turbo lag, but the payoff is worth it as the A4 gathers itself and launches with plenty of muscle.
The transmission upshifts quickly - tick, tick, tick - and paddle shifters are provided for those times when you want to exert maximum control. The A4 feels planted, yet the steering remains light. With the 252 horsepower engine on call, it almost feels as if your right foot has a magical powers.
Ergonomics are generally top shelf, although the shifter takes a while to master. Putting the A4 in "park" is not a linear shift, but is accomplished by pressing a button on the left side of shift knob. Meanwhile, the volume control for the excellent sound system is positioned on the passenger side of the center stack. Go figure.
BOTTOM LINE
If the idea of driving a compact, taut, luxury car with state-of-the-art technology sounds good to you, the Audi A4 should be on top of your must-drive list. With prices ranging from the low $30,000s to the mid- $50,000s, you can configure an A4 to fit your budget.
Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6645. Follow him on Twitter @TFPCOLUMNIST. Subscribe to his Facebook updates at www.facebook.com/mkennedycolumnist.