Autoblog

Click the A4 Avant for a high-res gallery

The A4 is Audi's bread-and-butter, representing half of the brand's volume in the US market. So, when the premium brand from the Volkswagen group introduces a new version of its volume leader, it's a big deal. That's why Audi invited a contingent of American media over to Europe this week to play with the new A4 -- first on its home turf in Deutschland and then bombing around the Spanish resort island of Ibiza. The completely redesigned B7-platform A4 debuted in sedan form last September at the Frankfurt Motor Show, while the Avant wagon dropped last month in Geneva.

As is typical for most German cars, European customers get a much wider array of powertrain choices than we Americans do. With the US dollar in free-fall against the Euro, brands like Audi have to cut costs in order to be able to sell their vehicles here at a competitive price point. A big part of that means simplifying the number of product combinations that get shipped over. That means US Audi dealers will get sedans with either a 2.0L TFSI four-cylinder or a 3.2L FSI V6. The wagons will only get the four banger. All models will use a new fast-shifting ZF six-speed autobox, and only the front-wheel-drive 2.0L will be available with a shift-it-yourself six-speed with a third pedal. The automatic will of course be equipped with paddle shifters for those inclined to pretend they are Dindo Cappello. Follow the jump to find out what's new about the latest A4 and what it's like to drive with some of the European engines that most Americans will never get to sample.


Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

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Though the new Audi A4 is supposed to debut next month in Frankfurt, a single shot of Ingolstadt's most important four-door has appeared on the web over at the AutoWeek.nl forums. It appears to be the very real deal, and is accompanied by some specific info, which we've done our best to translate and provide in easy to digest morsels below.

• Details on the new Audi A4
• 4.7 meters long, 1.83 meters wide
• .27 coeffcient of drag
• Base engine is 1.8L TFSI producing 160 hp
• 3.2L V6 FSI available producing 260 hp
• 2.0, 2.7 and 3.0L diesels available
• Six standard airbags
• Interior similar to A5, A6, and Q7

That's all the info we could glean from the Dutch text accompanying the pic, though we're sure Audi will have much more to reveal in a weeks at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

Thanks for the tip, Tom!

[Source: AutoWeek.nl]