Audi A4 2005 review

It's a new corporate look for the German premium brand, now completed in their volume-selling A4 sedan and wagon (Avant).

It is a look which appears almost majestic in the A8 and the A6, recently crowned the world car of the year by 21 nations' motoring journalists.

However, the imposing wide mouth looks a little daunting and out of proportion on the small A3 and the new mid-sized A4.

This is not the only style concern in the new model. The back end is now frumpy in an endeavour to make the car appear closer to the ground.

The Avant looks pretty good from every angle except front on, while the sedan looks almost dowdy. But remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

The great news is that the new range is around $2000 cheaper than before, despite three new powerful and highly technical engines, a sophisticated suspension and a high level of standard equipment.

It rolls along on a stiff but lightweight steel and aluminium chassis and body that is now longer and wider.

This produces more interior leg room and greater luggage space with a very functional flat floor, which is quite amazing.

It covers not only a plastic storage area for wet or dirty items but also a full-sized spare wheel beneath that.

Consequently, the bum hangs down a bit but attention is focused away by those delicious extruding twin tailpipes.

Inside, they have hardly changed anything. Audi believes its interior did not need a makeover as it was functional and stylish. Leather upholstery and multi-function steering wheels are standard issue and there is more brushed aluminium used.

A wide and expensive range of options includes the new SatNav System Plus, Bose sound, Bluetooth mobile phone, xenon headlights and electric seats, or packaged options priced from $1800 to $3600.

There are 16 variants of A4 with a 2-litre turbo diesel coming soon and two V8-powered hotties to come later this year and early next year. There is no word yet on when the two-year-old cabriolet will be remade in the new corporate style.

The current engine range features a 2-litre, a 1.8-litre turbo, a 3.2-litre injected engine and a 2-litre turbo-injected unit.

A short drive north of Sydney in various models revealed a screaming under-powered 2-litre normally aspirated unit, with all others displaying lusty power and plenty of free revving.

Despite introducing the direct shift gearbox elsewhere in the fleet, it is not available in the A4. There are four transmissions on offer – a 5-speed or 6-speed manual gearbox, a 6-speed tiptronic, and a 7-speed multitronic.

The multitronic is a continuously variable transmission with electronic ¿notches¿ for the gears, like the Honda Jazz system. It works well and comes with a sport shift which is also married to steering wheel paddles.

This transmission offers something for everyone; take it easy in "drive" in commuter traffic, override with a flick across to sequential or use the paddles when necessary (the system goes back to CVT after a minute or so), or throw it into "sport" for spirited drives like the Wiseman's Ferry route we took on last week's Sydney launch.

Here there are twists, turns, cliff walls, drop-offs into the Hawkesbury River and "jumps" over wooden bridges. You need to have your wits about you and be ready for sudden changes in the road surface and surprise bends. The multitronic with paddle shifters is ideal in this terrain.

And the stiff chassis with an advanced mechanical suspension system works well – even in the wagon – although the self-tracking trapezoidal-link rear made steering a little heavy on high-speed sweepers.

In the quattro, this piece of road was a breeze. In the front-wheel drive there was heavy under-steer, but a responsive engine meant right-foot steering was possible.

The new A4 may look a little frumpy to some, but with lusty engines and tight running gear, it ably continues Audi's image of luxury cars for the sporty drivers.

And with a $2000 price drop, it's now even more affordable.