Review: Audi A4 With A Lot of Excellent LED Lights

WHEN you've got a product that has sold over 10 million units, you don't mess with it much. That's why Audi has kept the changes to its latest version of the A4 to the minimum. But that doesn't mean the car - it was first launched in 1994 - doesn't have any new tricks up its sleeve... er, should that read wheel arches?

To beef up its positioning as a junior executive mode of transport, the new A4 has totally adopted the family fashion mantra: Sleek headlights with continuous-strip running lights that wrap around them and trapezoid-shaped fog lamps frame the deep six-sided grille which has the Audi four-ring logo and number plate embedded in the middle while twin chrome tailpipes and tail lights incorporating LED technology perk up the rear end.

Open the door and the executive feel continues. The leather seats are luxuriously soft while the buttons and controls twinkle with more chrome-gloss bits and the MMI navigation system has become even easier to use. And of course your fingers can't wait to wrap around the new chunky steering wheel... it comes with a flat bottom in the S4 and A4s fitted with Audi's sporty S-line trim.

Yet, it's in another area that the new A4 pampers its young executive owners: The wallet. Coming at a time when COE prices have sky-rocketed, petrol prices have refused to come down and bonuses are being trimmed thanks to Euro zone fears, this new car makes fewer stops at the petrol stations.

Audi claims the upgrades under the hood - a lighter engine, a new electromechanical power steering system and an innovative variable valve lift timing system for the front-wheel-drive 1.8-litre TFSI model which draws most buyers in Singapore - means 11 per cent less fuel consumption on average and significantly less emissions.

If you're looking for cold, hard numbers, here they are: The new 1.8 TFSI sips just 5.7 litres of petrol on average for every 100km travelled (combination of city and expressway driving).

Of course, the other electronic gizmos like radar cruise control, driver drowsiness warning system, engine start-stop system that shuts off the engine at standstill and brake regeneration are there to up the executive cache.

The good news is that this frugality at the pump hasn't come at the cost of performance. The test drive in Cascais - I spent most of my time with the 1.8 TFSI manual - was perfect testing ground for the new power steering system and the variable valve lift timing system.

The former, first seen on the excellent A6, tracks accurately in the twisties while contributing to the economy in the straights when it draws no power from the car's engine. And the latter ensured clatter-free power in the lower gears combined with straight-line speed that gets you over the speed limits with very little effort. By the way, don't worry if you're worried about working a manual gear shift... the A4s shipped to Singapore will be fitted with a continuously variable transmission, which works on an 8-speed format.

The result is a car that gets to 100kmh faster from standstill. The 1.8 TFSI does it in 8.1 seconds, thanks to more power (170bhp compared to the previous model's 160bhp) and more torque (320Nm vs 250Nm) on tap, while the 3-litre 272bhp supercharged version stops the clock in 5.9 seconds. And then there's the 333bhp S4, which needs just five seconds to hit three-figure territory.

The engine is the big news, though. It blends excellent fuel economy with a 0-62mph time of 5.8 seconds. And it’s strong in the mid range – simply press the accelerator in any of the smooth auto’s seven gears and the diesel delivers rapid yet effortless pace.

It produces its peak torque of 498Nm from 1,400 to 3,250rpm, yet it doesn’t run out of puff further up the rev range. It’s quiet, too – strong acceleration doesn’t come at the expense of refinement. Audi’s quattro four-wheel-drive system offers plenty of traction, while the optional Sports Differential (£620) helps agility.

Even so, the A5 still doesn’t have the precision and balance that makes a BMW 335d coupé more fun. The steering lacks feel and the ride becomes unsettled whenever you up the pace.

Overall, the LED lights are widely used most new cars such as LED Dome Lights, LED Daytime Running Lights, and will come out with even more innovation in the future.