2015 Audi A4 2.0 TDI 190 first drive

We’ve been here before: not only does the new, fifth-generation Audi A4 look fairly similar to its predecessor, but the messages about the car coming out of Ingolstadt are familiar too.

When the outgoing car was launched in 2008, Audi told us the new model was bigger, more dynamic, cleaner and more spacious inside and that it featured more technology than the version that it replaced.

Our road test team was less convinced by the sum of those parts, awarding the car a three-and-a-half-star rating and bemoaning that it didn’t quite live up to the lofty claims of its maker. Mind you, that didn’t prevent the A4 from selling strongly around the globe and, to be fair, Audi improved the car in many key areas during its lifetime.

Guess what? The new version is bigger (marginally) and the message coming out of Ingolstadt is that it is more dynamic, roomier, cleaner and more tech-laden than the outgoing car. So what makes Audi’s case more compelling this time around?

Despite the external styling being similar, there have been some much more radical technical changes under the familiar skin, all of which have contributed to making the new A4 a more refined and sophisticated car. Read more about the changes here.

The Audi A4 will make its first official appearance at September’s Frankfurt motor show and go on sale here in November, but Autocar had early access to drive pre-production versions in the Black Forest in Germany. 

The new Audi A4 is impressive in all respects, but most notably for the hushed, slick and refined way that it drives, as well as its overall ambience of sophistication.

Despite the similar look and shape, the A4 saloon is slightly longer and wider than its predecessor. It has a longer wheelbase, too.

Audi claims a class-leading drag coefficient of 0.23 for the A4 saloon thanks in part due to the adoption of a largely flat undertray and detailed sculpturing around the rear end. It has also worked on detailed refinements such as reprofiled and repositioned door mirrors - a tweak that cuts wind noise.

Allied with reductions in rolling resistance, mechanical friction and engine noise in the cabin, the changes mean the A4 is capable of cruising extremely quietly.

That in turn enhances the premium ambience of sitting in a cabin that sets a class standard. It’s comfortable, tastefully adorned and thoughtfully laid out, offering decent occupant space in most dimensions, controls that are angled slightly towards the driver and luggage space broadly on a par with rivals.

As a top-spec option, the ‘virtual cockpit’ multimedia and instrumentation system first seen in the Audi Q7 has been carried over in its entirety. It offers incredible clarity and an amazing array of ways to present the driving information, navigation or infotainment data. 

So far, so premium, but Audi also promised us better driving dynamics with this car, and that’s where more widespread mechanical changes come into play.

First, ther are the weight savings. As with the recently launched Q7, Audi has hacked weight out of the A4, with some derivatives saving up to 120kg compared with their predecessors.