Photo: Thecarconnection.com
Since BMW is currently dominating the premium sedan segment, Audi decided it was time to rethink its A4 model, in order to cope with the pace of the 3 Series. However, recent reports make us wonder if that will be the case.
Don't forget, the 3 Series is not a cheap car, it is a premium sedan that offers top-quality for the buck, while also keeping in touch with its lineage. Ever since it was released, the 3er was a trailblazer and neither Audi or Mercedes-Benz were not able to keep up.
The 2014 A4 is supposed to be lighter and more stylish than the current version. That is good news. Competition was always the driving force behind any kind of progress. However, seeing the supposed line of engines, we're not worried.
The cheapest model will come with a 1.4-liter TFSI engine that delivers 150 HP. That sounds pretty close to a Golf's engine, one that will definitely not be able to keep up with the weight and requirements of a medium-sized sedan like the A4.
The 2-liter TFSI will be coming in versions producing 177 and 225 HP, respectively. Those numbers are ridiculously small for proper competition for the 3 Series. The 320i has 184 HP and the 328i pushes 245 HP to the rear axle or all four wheels. That means that the A4 will be completely blown out of the water, even before starting to sell.
Going further and looking at the 2-liter TDI versions we stumble upon another puzzling discovery. This one will be offered in 4 power output versions, at least according to a story recently published by Autobild. The entry-level diesel will have 122 HP, which is slightly more powerful than the BMW equivalent, the 316d with its 114 HP but that's not all.
The remaining 3 diesels have 136 HP, 150 HP and respectively 190 HP, which is rather impressive, considering what we've been seeing from Audi (and Volkswagen since these are VW engines) so far. Looking at the Bimmer counterpart we have the 318d with 143 HP, 320d with 184 HP and 325d with 218 HP. Nothing else to say, BMW wins every category.
Going over to the top guns, the 3-liter diesel engines will be competing too. The Audi V6 will be producing either 218 HP (same as the BMW 2-liter diesel on the 325d) or 272 HP, whereas the inline 6-cylinder diesel engine available for the 3er, the N57, is delivering 258 HP (330d), even though more powerful versions are available for other models, like the one on the X3 xDrive35d which has 313 HP.
Seeing the top 330d overwhelmed by Audi A4's oil-burner, BMW might consider introducing the tri-turbo N57D30T1 on the 3 Series.
The most interesting fact about the new A4 is the supposed plug-in model, a first for this model and a competitor for BMW's ActiveHybrid3. The hybrid will be offered with a so-called 'e-quattro' system that has electric motors at the front and rear axles. It seems that the battery for this model will allow a 50km autonomy on electric mode alone.
Bottom line, the battle between the 2 manufacturers should heat up next year and we might see some real competition for the 3 Series.
Via: Autobild.de
The 2014 A4 is supposed to be lighter and more stylish than the current version. That is good news. Competition was always the driving force behind any kind of progress. However, seeing the supposed line of engines, we're not worried.
The cheapest model will come with a 1.4-liter TFSI engine that delivers 150 HP. That sounds pretty close to a Golf's engine, one that will definitely not be able to keep up with the weight and requirements of a medium-sized sedan like the A4.
The 2-liter TFSI will be coming in versions producing 177 and 225 HP, respectively. Those numbers are ridiculously small for proper competition for the 3 Series. The 320i has 184 HP and the 328i pushes 245 HP to the rear axle or all four wheels. That means that the A4 will be completely blown out of the water, even before starting to sell.
Going further and looking at the 2-liter TDI versions we stumble upon another puzzling discovery. This one will be offered in 4 power output versions, at least according to a story recently published by Autobild. The entry-level diesel will have 122 HP, which is slightly more powerful than the BMW equivalent, the 316d with its 114 HP but that's not all.
The remaining 3 diesels have 136 HP, 150 HP and respectively 190 HP, which is rather impressive, considering what we've been seeing from Audi (and Volkswagen since these are VW engines) so far. Looking at the Bimmer counterpart we have the 318d with 143 HP, 320d with 184 HP and 325d with 218 HP. Nothing else to say, BMW wins every category.
Going over to the top guns, the 3-liter diesel engines will be competing too. The Audi V6 will be producing either 218 HP (same as the BMW 2-liter diesel on the 325d) or 272 HP, whereas the inline 6-cylinder diesel engine available for the 3er, the N57, is delivering 258 HP (330d), even though more powerful versions are available for other models, like the one on the X3 xDrive35d which has 313 HP.
Seeing the top 330d overwhelmed by Audi A4's oil-burner, BMW might consider introducing the tri-turbo N57D30T1 on the 3 Series.
The most interesting fact about the new A4 is the supposed plug-in model, a first for this model and a competitor for BMW's ActiveHybrid3. The hybrid will be offered with a so-called 'e-quattro' system that has electric motors at the front and rear axles. It seems that the battery for this model will allow a 50km autonomy on electric mode alone.
Bottom line, the battle between the 2 manufacturers should heat up next year and we might see some real competition for the 3 Series.
Via: Autobild.de
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