Small is the new big: Audi A4 2.0 quattro

SINGAPORE — Downsizing and turbocharging are the terms on everyone’s lips these days. With even holdouts like Honda jumping on the bandwagon, engines that are smaller than 1.6-litres regularly outpunch larger, non-turbocharged ones in every aspect, from power to efficiency.

But if the new standard for regular 
cars is to have sub-1.6-litre turbocharged engines, where does that leave cars with bigger engines? If Audi’s A4 2.0 quattro is anything to go by, the answer is: A big, torque-laden rush.

BIG GAME

Since 1.6-litre turbocharged engines now offer similar performance to non-turbocharged 2-litre engines, a turbocharged 2-litre engined is now considered big. The turbocharged 2-litre unit used in the more expensive A4 produces some 100bhp and 120Nm more than the baseline 1.4-litre A4.

Yet Audi, as part of the VW Group, helped pioneer the current popularity of turbocharged engines, so it’s no surprise the previous A4 already had the technology onboard. The engine in the new A4 2.0 has been further refined here, as has the rest of the car. It produces 40bhp more than the previous model and fuel consumption is also reduced by 0.7L/100km.

It offers the quintessential fast Audi experience: The engine growls, the gears flick by almost instantly, while sticky tyres and all-wheel drive help the car accelerate easily.

An inline-four engine might not have the purr of a V6, it doesn’t matter when things go by in a blur. That the A4 is light on its feet helps maintain momentum even in corners, and its suspension is firm but far from agonising. We should keep in mind that the A4 is not a performance car. The official hot-head for this model is the S4 which is due for launch here late this year, but this is a sportier take on a regular A4, to go up against cars like the BMW 330i.

PEACEFUL, EASY FEELING

Selecting the A4’s “Comfort” drive mode allows you to enjoy the quiet cabin and high-tech touches like the active driver’s display and Internet-linked MultiMedia Interface system.

This particular test car came with additional equipment that’s typically not found on small executive sedans like this. Adaptive cruise control, which slows the car down to match the speed of traffic in front is not a new thing, but the traffic-jam assistant is. It helps control speed and steer the vehicle at speeds below 60kmh — not quite autonomous driving, but a step towards it.

All that allows the driver to do less when he or she wishes, and is a hallmark of more expensive luxury cars we’ve tested, like the upcoming Mercedes-Benz E-Class and Volvo S90.

The classic performance car equation is to take a large engine and put it in a small car. The A4 2.0 changes that, with a small but strong mill in a car that displays all the hallmarks of bigger, more luxurious vehicles, though it also has a price tag to suit.

Audi A4 2.0 quattro

Engine: 1,984cc, in-line four, turbocharged, 252hp, 370Nm

Performance: 250kmh, 0-100kmh: 5.8s, 6.3L/100km, 144g/km CO2

Price: S$229,300

On Sale: Now

PROS: Fast, fun and full of technology

CONS: Big-car features come at a price