2016 B9 Audi A4 revealed – familiar looks, new tech

After countless spyshots and a teaser, the 2016 B9 Audi A4 has finally been revealed in full prior to its Frankfurt debut in September. For the first time, the German carmaker has also elected to unveil both the sedan and A4 Avant variant – perhaps as an warning shot to the team behind the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

First things first, the looks. As expected from the spyshots, the fifth-generation A4 sports a more evolutionary design as opposed to going down the groundbreaking route employed by the W205 C-Class. In front, the trademark Singleframe grille is now wider. Mildly-restyled xenon plus headlights are standard while options include a LED and matrix LED setup.

The headlight assembly contains fibre optics that help shape the daytime running lights as well as the turn indicators. With the matrix LED setup, twelve LEDs and three reflectors are responsible for lighting the road ahead. Via a camera, the system juggles the intensity and activation of all diodes in 64 stages to illuminate the road without blinding oncoming drivers.

Also, the system works to highlight road signs ahead by projecting sufficient amounts of light without blinding the driver from possible reflections. In combination with the optional MMI Navigation plus package, the system is also capable of activating the dynamic turn indicators and illuminating the upcoming corner.

For added visual drama, a bold shoulder line begins at the edge of said headlight assembly and tapers on along the entire length of the car before terminating just fore of the taillights. The taillights themselves now feature what Audi calls a “multi-faceted 3D design” – each assembly contains a total of 48 LEDs.

On the A4 Avant, a tailgate spoiler is present while the rear bumper features a diffuser that houses a single, dual or separate twin exhaust outlet depending on trim. All in all, a total of 15 colour schemes are available with the new A4 while upcoming sport and design lines as well as the S line sport package will offer customers that final touch of exclusivity.

Wheel options include 16- and 17-inch alloy wheels on the base A4 and A4 Avant while 17-inch aluminium wheels are fitted to models with the sport and design lines. Moving up, 18-inch wheels are available with the S Line package while 19-inch options top out the list. Tyre pressure monitoring and a repair kit come as standard along with the option of space-saver spare wheel.

Overall length on the sedan model is recorded at 4,726 mm while width is 1,842 mm, an increase of 25 and 16 mm, respectively. Height, meanwhile, remains exactly as it was at 1,427 mm. The B9 Audi A4 Avant is exactly one millimetre shorter and seven mm taller than the sedan.

While the fifth-gen Audi A4 remains a familiar sight on the outside, a fair bit of work has been done to ensure that the new car is a thoroughly reworked unit. Sitting on the MLB Evo platform, the new 2016 B9 Audi A4 weighs up to 120 kg less than the outgoing model while wheelbase has been increased by 12 mm to a total of 2,820 mm – an increase of 12 mm over the outgoing model.

Steps taken to help lower the overall weight of the car include having the nodes in the D-pillar and tailgate of the A4 Avant made out of die-cast aluminium. Elsewhere, hot-stamped components form the skeleton of the passenger compartment while aluminium castings for the mounts of the front MacPherson struts help save eight kg in total. The A4 sedan has a drag coefficient figure of 0.23 while the Avant, 0.26.

Under the bonnet, the 2016 B9 Audi A4 features seven engine options comprised of three TFSI petrol units and four TDI diesel mills. Beginning with the base turbocharged 1.4 litre TFSI petrol unit, said mill pumps out a total of 150 hp and 250 Nm of torque between 1,500 and 3,500 rpm. Mated to the S tronic gearbox, the car sprint from 0-100 km/h in 8.9 seconds and powers on to 210 km/h – same figures on the Avant.

Measured on the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), the 1.4 TFSI with S tronic sips just a litre of petrol for every 17 km while CO2 emissions stand at 114 g/km – Audi touts a fuel consumption improvement of 21%. With an aluminium crankcase, the entire engine is also said to weigh just 100 kg in total.

Next up is a turbocharged 2.0 litre TFSI petrol engine available in two states of tune. First up, in 2.0 TFSI ultra guise, the engine puts out a total of 190 hp and 320 Nm of torque from 1,450 to 4,200 rpm. Mated with the S tronic, the car goes from nought to 100 km/h in 7.3 seconds and on to a top speed of 240 km/h (7.5 and 238 km/h for the Avant). Fuel efficiency is rated at 20.8 km/l (Avant, 19 km/l) with CO2 emissions at 114 g/km.

In a stronger state of tune, the same mill pumps out 252 hp and 370 Nm of torque between 1,600 and 4,500 rpm. With quattro all-wheel drive and the S tronic system, the car goes from 0-100 km/h in 5.8 seconds and on to a limited top whack of 250 km/h – the Avant does the sprint in six seconds flat. With front-wheel drive, fuel consumption is rated at 17.5 km/l while CO2 emissions stand at 129 g/km.

Moving on to the diesel range, it kicks off with a 2.0 litre TDI four-cylinder mill offered in two states of tune. First, the 2.0 TDI clean diesel offers 150 hp and 320 Nm of torque from 1,500 to 3,250 rpm. With S tronic and front-wheel drive, the car goes from 0-100 km/h in 8.7 seconds and on to 219 km/h – Avant in nine seconds and 213 km/h. With a six-speed manual, fuel consumption is rated at 26.3 km/l for the sedan.

The Avant with the same gearbox and engine combination records a figure of 24.9 km/l. As for CO2 emissions, the sedan marks down a figure of 99 g/km while the Avant manages 104 g/km. The stronger state of tune for the same mill offers 190 hp and 400 Nm of torque from 1,750 to 3,000 rpm.

With the S tronic gearbox and front-wheel drive, 0-100 km/h takes just 7.7 seconds on the sedan while the Avant clocks in at 7.9. Top speed is recorded at 237 and 231 km/h, respectively. Coupled to the same engine/gearbox combo, fuel consumption stands at 24.4 km/l for the sedan and 23.8 km/l for the Avant – CO2 emissions are at 107 and 109 g/km, respectively.

Also, ultra versions of the 2.0 TDI mill be offered. Modifications to the transmission ratio, bodywork, suspension and the use of low rolling resistance tyres help to lower its fuel consumption even further. With a six-speed manual and 150 hp, the 2.0 TDI ultra sedan records a segment-best of 27 km/l while the Avant does 26.3 km/l – CO2 emissions are at 95 and 99 g/km, respectively.

Finally, a 3.0 litre TDI six-cylinder diesel mill gets offered with a choice of two states of tune, as well. First up, the 3.0 litre TDI clean diesel puts out 218 hp and 400 Nm of twist from 1,250 to 3,750 rpm and with front-wheel drive, records a fuel consumption figure of just 23.8 km/l with a CO2 emissions rating of 110 g/km. Moving on, the mill is also capable of producing 272 hp and 600 Nm from 1,500 to 3,000 rpm.

Straight line figures include a 0-100 km/h time of just 5.3 seconds (Avant, 5.4 seconds) and a limited top speed of 250 km/h. NEDC fuel consumption figures include 20.4 km/l and 129 g/km for the sedan while the Avant records 19.5 km/l and 134 g/km.

Lastly, the A4 Avant will also be available as a g-tron model. Running on compressed natural gas (CNG), its 2.0 litre TFSI engine puts out 170 hp and 270 Nm of torque. The CNG tank itself holds 19 kg worth of said gas at a pressure of 200 bar. Under NEDC conditions, the car is capable of travelling 500 km on CNG and a further 450 km on gasoline when CNG levels fall below 10 bar.

As for transmissions options across the range, the 2016 B9 Audi A4 is equipped with either a six-speed manual, S tronic seven-speed dual-clutch or a eight-speed tiptronic gearbox. The latter exclusive only to the most powerful 3.0 litre TDI model. The multitronic CVT from the outgoing B8 has been dropped. In true Audi fashion, the A4 comes as standard with front-wheel drive with the option of quattro all-wheel drive.

As for enhancements to the car’s ride and handling prowess, Audi has reworked the five-link front axle setup on the B9. The use of a “hydromount” eliminates vibrations for improved long-distance comfort without sacrificing the car’s agility. Unlike the previous model, the upper links are integrated into the bodywork while the lower link is mounted to a hybrid subframe made out of high-strength steel and aluminium.

At the rear, a five-link axle supersedes the trapezoidal-link setup of the previous model. For the first time, monotube shock absorbers have been employed on the new B9 A4. Alternatively, Audi has provided two suspension systems that prioritise sporty driving and comfort via variable damping.

Electronic sensors measure the movement of four wheels plus longitudinal and transverse acceleration and then adjust the absorbers to suit the conditions – newly-developed continuous damping control (CDC) shock absorbers with electromagnetically-controlled valves allow hydraulic fluid to flow faster or slower. A central suspension control unit is responsible for monitoring the signals and coordinating the changes.

Also new is the electromechanical power steering system that, according to Audi, saves up to 3.5 kg. With a ratio of 15.9:1, feedback is said to be exemplary with an improved response rate. Also available is the dynamic steering system, offered on models with 150 hp and above. Said system possesses a ratio that’s variable by up to 100% depending on current speed and drive mode selected.

Inside, the new A4 boasts a restyled cabin architecture with the marque’s 12.3-inch virtual cockpit available as an option on the car. Elsewhere, the MMI system receives a new tablet-style display which, with the optional MMI Navigation plus with MMI touch, features an 8.3-inch monitor. Opting for it nets you Audi connect, LTE connectivity and WiFi hotspot capabilities.

Controls for the new MMI platform include free-text search functions while additional accessibility is granted by the multifunction steering wheel and “natural-language” voice control interface. Other optional goodies include a Bang & Olufsen audio system with 3D sound technology and Audi tablets for the rear seat entertainment.

Also, Qi wireless charging facilities for one’s smartphone is featured in the cabin of the new A4. While shoulder room is touted to be the best in its class, the Avant adds on the goods by providing a luggage capacity of 505 litres.

As for driver assistance systems and safety kit, the 2016 B9 Audi A4 B9 arrives on the scene with Stop&Go adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist, “predictive efficiency assistant”, Audi’s active lane assist and side assist, parking assist and a camera-based traffic sign recognition system amongst others.

2016 B9 Audi A4 Sedan

2016 B9 Audi A4 Avant

Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.