Audi A4: More images and details

UPDATE: Audi has officially unveiled the new A4, though no new pics have been released. We've pasted the official press release after the jump.


click image to view more shots of Audi's new A4

It appears the dam n is beginning to burst with news on the new Audi A4, as Motor Authority is hosting more images (watermarked, boo!) of the four-door sedan we showed you yesterday. Now we can see the new A4 (we think it will be a 2008 model, but you never know until Audi says so) from all angles, and it's apparent that while the sedan does take a few styling cues from the new A5, those do not include the coupe's undulating character line that bends up and over the fenders. The A4's character line runs straight down the car's sides and dips down to meet the headlights. Up front, however, the A4 will have a pair of lower grilles housing fog lamps, which make the front end look very similar to the A5. It also appears that the headlights may have optional LEDs, similar to the all-LED lamps of the R8.

Though the new A4 may look similar to the model it's replacing, some significant work has gone on underneath the sheetmetal to move the engine farther back, which both improves weight distribution and allowed the designer's to reduce the front overhang. Available engines will include a smattering of petrol and diesel options, the base motor being a 1.8TFSI and the top end mill a 265-hp 3.2L FSI V6. Transmission choices for now are limited to a six-speed manual, tiptronic auto and CVT, with the DSG expected to be made available later.

Meanwhile, the interior appears to be typical Audi, if you like that sort of thing. While no doubt impeccable to the touch, we're getting a bit tired of Audi's traditional interior design.

Click the Read link to visit Motor Authority for more details. We're going to wait until Audi releases the official details and images to go hog wild analyzing the new A4.

[Source: Audi]

PRESS RELEASE:

The sportiest midsize saloon
The new Audi A4

Audi opens up new horizons. The A4 is a sporty car with superb presence on
the road; it takes Audi forward into a new dimension on the midsize car
market. The engines that power the saloon, both TDI and spark-ignition, in
all cases with direct fuel injection, combine effortless power with high
efficiency. The dynamic running gear and the use of many technologies taken
direct from the large-car category are evidence of the brand's lead in
technical know-how. The new Audi is a new way to drive. It will reach
the market at the end of November 2007, at a basic list price of about
26,000 Euros in Germany.

In its design, the new A4 reveals its sporty, progressive character: taut and
dynamic in its outlines, it speaks the language of technical perfection. With an
overall length of 4.70 metres, the saloon has a substantial, powerful road stance
and offers its occupants ample space in an interior full of light. The workmanship
is typical of an Audi – quality with no compromises. The controls can be backed
by the extra refinement of innovative assistance and multimedia systems. In the
safety area, the brand with the four-ring emblem sets new standards: the
coordinated action of the airbags and front seat belt force limiters protects the
occupants even more effectively.

When compared with the previous model, the A4 has new, sporty proportions.
The front body overhang has been drastically shortened; the bonnet and
wheelbase are both longer than before. In the driveline, the differential has
changed places with the clutch (or torque converter), making it possible to move
the front axle forward by 154 millimetres. This innovative solution ensures ideal
axle-load distribution. The new A4 is the sportiest saloon in the midsize car
category: agile, light and precise to control. Its dynamic suspension is a totally
new design, with most of its components made from weight-saving aluminium.

The results are impressive: supremely dynamic road behaviour and effortlessly
precise handling.

New high-tech options make the A4 driving experience even more fascinating:
Audi drive select varies the engine, automatic transmission, steering and
suspension damping characteristics to suit the driver's preferences at any given
moment. Audi dynamic steering varies its ratio according to the car's speed and
keeps the new A4 stable close to the handling limits by slight, almost
instantaneous changes to the steering angle. The damping control system for the
hydraulic shock absorbers varies the damping characteristic individually, to
combine sporty driving enjoyment with maximum road safety.

The new Audi A4 is being introduced with a choice of five engines, their power
outputs ranging from 105 kW (143 bhp) to 195 kW (265 bhp). The four-cylinder
petrol engine, like the diesels, is turbocharged, and both types of engine have
direct fuel injection. All the engines, with their supremely refined flow of power,
make the A4 a pleasure to drive and, thanks to their high efficiency, consume
distinctly less fuel than the previous versions.

Various transmissions are available: a six-speed manual gearbox, the tiptronic
automatic transmission, the multitronic continuously variable transmission, and
either front-wheel drive or quattro permanent all-wheel drive, which has been
subjected to intensive development work that has made its performance even
more dynamic.