Gently Facelifted Audi A4 Coming This Year

Audi has the new A6 in sedan and Avant forms, plus the Q3, A7 and the A8 from last year, to market right now. But the car people used to want in Europe, the more compact A4 sedan, has been left it to the shadows of the marketing world. After four years since the original market launch, the current Audi A4 is scheduled to go under the knife for a mid lifecycle facelift.

According to a report from Auto Express, the model will car the same distinctive features as the 2012 Audi A6 and will also benefit from Ingolstadt’s new and improved MMI control system, plus a bunch of other tech from the A6.

It’s not going to be a revolutionary change, but the front grille will benefit from changes brought about by the Q3 crossover and A1 citycar. The lights will surely be refreshed, both front and back, and the fascia will look a bit more aggressive.

Under the hood, Audi A4 customers will be greeted by the V6 TDI from the A6, but the whole engine lineup should offer improved emissions and economy. The European version is sure to keep its 2.0 TDI 136 hp engine that was introduced late last year. In the current version of the sedan, the unit consumes just 4.4 liters of diesel per 100 km (53.46 US mpg) on average, with CO2 emissions of 115 grams per km (185.07 g/mile). These figures for the A4 Avant are 4.6 liters (51.13 US mpg) and 120 grams (193.12).

The facelifted A4 is expected later this year to do battle with BMW’s new 3-Series.