Photo: rmdesignblog
If you happen to know any Audi engineers or designer, cut him or her some slack these days. They’re keeping things on the super-busy side in Ingolstadt, as both the Q7 and the A4 are racing towards the new-generation development completion. Both are aging and while we’ve already talked about the Q7, it is now time to zoom in on the A4.
We’re waiting for Audi’s compact executive sedan to land next year and while we do that, here’s a rendering of the B9-generation A4. This might look a little on the odd side, since it resembles the current model perhaps a tad too much. That’s because this is an image of the current A4, wearing new front and rear fascias, as well as redesigned wheels.
Then again, this only mirror’s Audi’s obsession for making a religion out of the family identity. Nonetheless, the German carmaker has admitted they need to change the fact that all their cars basically look the same.
Thus, next month’s LA Auto Show will bring an Audi concept car that shall preview a new styling direction for Audi. Audi are dead-serious about this and they even hace a new design boss, Marc Lichte.
Anybody who’s seen the new Volkswagen Passat can confirm that, especially on the well-equipped models, the cabin quality has almost reached Audi levels. Well, you can imagine that the next A4 will be nothing short of a blast on the inside, introducing stuff such as an 8-inch MMI display we talked about in the previous spyshots.
The chassis will be more rigid, while the engine will be placed further towards the passenger compartment, which means the handling will be seriously improved.
Entry-level models will stick to front-wheel drive, but Audi is expected to revolutionize its quattro AWD. The central differential will be dropped, leaving the internal combustion engine to power the front wheels, while the rear axle will be motivated by an electric motor developing up to 100 hp.
With the new BMW M3/M4 and the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, the B9 Audi RS4 will need every bit of the aforementioned handling advantage. The rumor mill also sees the RS4 badge returning to the sedan, as the current generation only comes in Avant (station wagon) trim. Speaking of hot models, the line-up may be enriched with a spicy diesel model, which will probably be offered under the S, not the RS, badge.
We may have waited quite a lot for Audi to brings us a new A4, but we’re expecting the effort to be totally worth it once the compact executive lands.
Then again, this only mirror’s Audi’s obsession for making a religion out of the family identity. Nonetheless, the German carmaker has admitted they need to change the fact that all their cars basically look the same.
Thus, next month’s LA Auto Show will bring an Audi concept car that shall preview a new styling direction for Audi. Audi are dead-serious about this and they even hace a new design boss, Marc Lichte.
Will the 2016 Audi A4 be the first to use the new design language?
We can only hope so. The time frame would lead us towards a negative answer, but there’s an important twist here - so far, we’ve only seen test mules, which might just mean the Germans are planning to introduce their new styling with the B9 A4. After all, the 2015 release date for the car hasn’t been officially confirmed.Anybody who’s seen the new Volkswagen Passat can confirm that, especially on the well-equipped models, the cabin quality has almost reached Audi levels. Well, you can imagine that the next A4 will be nothing short of a blast on the inside, introducing stuff such as an 8-inch MMI display we talked about in the previous spyshots.
MLB Evo platform underneath
Audi may have given us a taste of its new MLB Evo architecture with the Sport quattro concept, but the modular architecture will eventually underpin most of the carmaker’s models from the A4 upwards. Mixing ultra high strength steel with aluminum and composite materials, the new architecture will bring a weight cut of around 200 lbs (90 km).The chassis will be more rigid, while the engine will be placed further towards the passenger compartment, which means the handling will be seriously improved.
Entry-level models will stick to front-wheel drive, but Audi is expected to revolutionize its quattro AWD. The central differential will be dropped, leaving the internal combustion engine to power the front wheels, while the rear axle will be motivated by an electric motor developing up to 100 hp.
With the new BMW M3/M4 and the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, the B9 Audi RS4 will need every bit of the aforementioned handling advantage. The rumor mill also sees the RS4 badge returning to the sedan, as the current generation only comes in Avant (station wagon) trim. Speaking of hot models, the line-up may be enriched with a spicy diesel model, which will probably be offered under the S, not the RS, badge.
We may have waited quite a lot for Audi to brings us a new A4, but we’re expecting the effort to be totally worth it once the compact executive lands.
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