Over the last year or so, I ve driven some pretty impressive Audi cars. The very formidable A8 4.2 Quattro, with its 340PS, 4200cc engine, made a big impression.
In its own quiet, understated way, that A8 seemed as near indestructible as a Challenger 2 MBT, and as searingly fast as a Lockheed SR-71 ˜Blackbird fighter plane. You have to experience the way an A8 4.2 spears through traffic, to really understand what I m on about. I also had the opportunity to drive the slick, suave A6 3.0, from Mumbai to Pune.
This very good looking car was, again, mighty impressive in the way it drove and handled. And as a bonus, its Multitronic CVT felt distinctly better than any conventional automatic that I d ever driven. So, having formed a suitably high opinion of Audi cars over the last few months, my expectations were running high when I set out to drive the A4 2.0 TDI.
This car comes with Audi s 1968cc, SOHC, 16-valve, inline-four, direct injection turbodiesel, which makes 142PS@4000rpm and 320Nm of torque between 1750-2500rpm. The extremely high injection pressure, and a VTG turbocharger, with adjustable guide vanes, are said to improve throttle response.
Audi haven t concentrated all their efforts on the engine alone “ safety has also been looked at. There are dual stage front airbags, side airbags and curtain airbags (a total of six), the latest generation electronic stability program (with traction control), anti-lock brakes, ˜Servotronic speed-sensitive steering, and ˜Multitronic continuously variable transmission. All of the above notwithstanding, how is the A4 2.0 TDI to drive? Well, things didn t start very well. The first time I fired up the engine, I was rather taken aback by the loud diesel clatter. Though the engine becomes relatively quieter once it s warmed up, this A4 is still nowhere near as quiet as, say, a Mercedes-Benz C220 CDI.
And frankly, I wouldn t expect this kind of noise from a car that costs a whopping Rs 33 lakh (on-road, Mumbai). On the move though, things get better. There s 142PS on tap, but what s more important is the 320Nm of torque, which is available between 1750-2500rpm. The engine is mated to Audi s very efficient Multitronic CVT, which actually works best in ˜Sport mode. Here, you get seven pre-determined ratios, which makes the CVT feel like a smooth, seamless seven-speed automatic gearbox. It just works, and works beautifully.
There s also the option of clutchless manual shifting (just prod the lever up or down to shift ¦), but I must admit I think it s totally irrelevant “ the CVT is quite capable on its own, especially in Sport mode. With Sport mode selected, the car accelerates from zero to 60km/h in 4.4 seconds. Zero to 100km/h takes 10.75 seconds, which is not too bad considering the fact this is, after all, a four-cylinder diesel. The standing quarter mile (400m) run takes 17.59 seconds, while measured top speed is an adequate 203km/h. It isn t a very refined engine “ the noise and the vibes see to that “ but it s a capable unit, delivering sufficient thrust on demand.