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Preview: 2002 Audi A4
Shifting perceptions of a modern wunderkind.
By Marty Padgett

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. - Vermont has a strange effect on visitors - and
we're not just talking a predilection to don Aran sweaters and snuggle
over non-Starbucks coffees. Once we crossed the border from this tiny
Massachusetts burg, home to Williams College and TCC's own Sue Mead, we
were possessed to visit every pay phone we could.

We weren't looking for spare change. We were looking for contact with the
outside world beyond the Green Mountains. They're pretty spectacular, but
they also swat down cell-phone signals with antediluvian glee.
Technophobes, here's your nirvana.

On the other hand, the Vermonters we passed showed some appreciative
glances for the new A4 we flung across the hilltops during a recent press
drive. It wasn't only the cosmopolitan weekenders that noticed the '02
model's lithe shape as our train of vehicles mamboed through Bennington;
the locals were throwing looks of amiable envy, too.

And for good reason. The A4 is a sensual treat, even more affirmation
that Audi's tough times are behind it and that confident, car-loving
engineers are being given uncharacteristic free rein somewhere in
southeastern Germany.

Strong footing The last-generation A4 was the wedge in the door of
recovery. It's been the mainstay of the Audi lineup since the times when
it was known as the 4000. Since it was revamped and renamed the A4 in
1994, it's seen its sales increase every year.

The 2002 model moves the needle yet again, in some interesting ways. If
the last A4 summed up neatly what Audi was all about, this vehicle is
about expanding its envelope to bring in some others who think more
interior room and innovative transmission technology aren't addressed by
the ilk of BMW and Lexus and Acura.

Audi expects people to cross-shop against the 3-Series, C-Class and
X-Type and IS300. They're expected close to 40,000 units to be sold each
year. And the company thinks it will sell 100,000 cars in the U.S. this
year, after seeing sales crater in the early 1990s.

Offhand, we'd think those numbers could be conservative.

Changing gears The team responsible for this Audi duty had one of the
tougher tasks in the auto world - improving the A4's quality while
increasing interior room and penning a new V-6 engine.

What they came up with is two distinct models, a 1.8T turbo four and a
luxe A4 3.0 six-cylinder. Buy a 1.8T and you'll get a front-drive car with
either a five-speed manual or automatic, or a quattro all-wheel-drive
model with the same choice. Step up to the A4 3.0 and you'll have to
choose between a quattro with either a six-speed manual or five-speed
automatic, or a front-driver with Audi's compelling new Multitronic.

Continuously variable transmissions have a bad reputation, mostly because
of the Sixties DAFs with rubber-band technology, or the funky Subaru Justy
CVT, complete with a non-charming three-cylinder engine that shook more
than Otis Redding running a martini bar.

Audi's Multitronic, like the recent Honda CVT, has the power to changes
the minds of people who think CVTs are a techno dead end. There aren't any
rubber bands, for one thing, just a very runway-looking metal chain made
of more than a thousand links and a pulley with twin pressure plates on
one end - together, called the variator.

Audi says to think of the variator like a bicycle; changing gears at the
front end changes the gear ratio at the back end. Only, the Multitronic
effects the continuous gear-ratio change by squeezing the plates together
or releasing them. For people truly afraid of innovation, the Multitronic
offers a Tiptronic gear selector with six pre-programmed shift schedules,
which means you can operate it just like a Tiptronic.

In mixed-use driving, the Multitronic doesn't feel like a rubber band at
all, either. Audi says they've chosen to modify the power curve so the
gearbox (if you can call it that) doesn't zing up to redline and sit
there, waiting for you to let off the gas. It massages the curve to raise
rpms to a less objectionable level, and responds quickly to part-throttle
inputs. The double-word score here is that, due to its innate efficiency,
the Multitronic is expected to get better gas mileage and be quicker than
a comparable automatic-equipped model.

Vroom with a view The Multitronic - and to an equal degree, the manual
and Tiptronic gearboxes - mate well to the two engine choices. Both are
upgrades from the existing powerplants. The four-cylinder engine jumps 20
hp to 170 hp without losing its timely midrange power come-on. The V-6 is
a new five-valve, aluminum design with a 90-degree valley and a balance
shaft to smooth out some inherent vibration. It makes 220 hp and 221 lb-ft
of torque available down low, a lesson Audi was late to learn but shows
mastery of now. Both engines are certified as Ultra Low-Emission Vehicles
(ULEVs).

The suspension continues to impress, with Audi's now typical four-link
design in the front, and a new multi-link independent in the rear. In any
of the A4's configurations, the resulting handling is a benchmark
combination of poise and capability. The steering winds and tells the
truth about road surfaces, while the suspension does a noticeably better
job of absorbing big pavement scabs without too much joggling. Ride
damping is firmer than the former sport suspensions and feels right on
target for an enthusiast ready to rave through the country.

After its near-death experience in the late 1980s, Audi learned that
safety sells. The A4 is awash in acronyms like standard ESP (Electronic
Stability Program) and BA (Brake Assist) to accompany dual front and side
airbags and anti-lock brakes. Rear side airbags are optional, as is GM's
OnStar service and a navigation system that puts the entire country's
worth of maps on one DVD.

Rolling artwork If it were possible to frame the A4, many buyers would.
Examine its skin and you'll see attention to detail rivaling Bangkok's
Oriental hotel, with slim and few cutlines and wind-tunnel perfected
curves. Even the now-cliché wheelhouse arches are subdued enough to not
remind you of the VW Beetle. Every carmaker claims 45 percent more
rigidity for new models, it seems, as does Audi. Frankly it's difficult to
tell how much stronger it is until driving, just that its ingot-like
structure doesn't squeak or twist untowardly.

The rear-seat leg room is usefully upgraded, with about an inch and
two-thirds more knee room. While the increased wheelbase and head room
change the roofline somewhat, they lend the car not-unappealing hump that
makes it noticeably different than the former model.

The cockpit it gloriously Audi, another benchmark that offers up subtle
textures and well-conceived controls. The AM/FM/CD changer's a black hole
of flat buttons, but the gauges are lovingly framed in metallic rings.
Four-cylinders get mod-looking textured aluminum trim, while six-cylinders
sport wood. The tilt and telescoping steering wheel and multi-adjustable
seats create a good command position, but the tunnel for the driver's legs
is a little narrow. And novices will have some learning to do: the base
seats have more cranks and levers than Willy Wonka's factory.

The 2002 A4 already has four variations, and soon enough, we're certain
to see an Avant wagon, an S4 performance edition, and if our crystal ball
hasn't gone back in hock to Miss Cleo, we see an allroad quattro version
of the wagon, too. Expect the Multitronic to grace more Audis - even
quattros - and Volkswagens as well.

Starting in October, you'll have the chance to savor a car that no matter
in which level of trim, feels as solid and sophisticated as anything on
the market.

2002 Audi A4
Models: A4 1.8T, A4 1.8T quattro, A4 3.0, A4 3.0 quattro
Price: $28,000 (1.8T) - $33,000 (3.0 quattro) (est.)
Engine: 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, 170 hp; 3.0-liter V-6, 220
hp
Transmission:Five-speed manual (four-cylinders); six-speed manual
(six-cylinders); five-speed automatic with Tiptronic (quattro models);
Multitronic CVT (front-drive, V-6 model)
Wheelbase: 104.3 in
Length: 179.0 in
Width: 69.5 in
Height: 56.2 in
Curb Weight: 3252 - 3627 lb
EPA (city/hwy): N/A
Safety equipment: Dual front airbags, front-seat side airbags, anti-lock
brakes with Brake Assist
Major standard features: Air conditioning, cruise control, power windows,
locks, and mirrors AM/FM stereo with in-dash six-CD changer and ten
speakers, trip computer (both models); dual power front seats, wood trim
(six-cylinder)
Major options: Homelink garage door opener, Xenon headlamps, rear
side-impact airbags, OnStar telematics service, Bose 200-watt premium
audio system, sunroof (both models); Parktronic parking assist, leather
trim, power seat and mirror memory, navigation system (six-cylinder)
Warranty: Four years/50,000 miles (including scheduled service)

"Better Than Good: With the next A4, Audi moves out and beyond."


From the top of Mount Equinox, 3816 feet above sea level, Vermont stretches rugged, green and gorgeous in every direction. Equinox is not precisely one of the Green Mountains--it's the highest peak in a subsidiary range called the Taconics--but it offers a panoramic view of the land Ethan Allen adopted when he moved from Connecticut as a young man.

His role in the American Revolution notwithstanding, Allen was branded a traitor by some contemporaries. He organized his Green Mountain Boys to fight militias from New York and New Hampshire, should either attempt to enforce its claim to the territory of Vermont, and was charged with treason after he opened negotiations to make Vermont a province of Canada. Cooler heads recognized Allen's overtures to the British for what they were: a tactic to pressure the Continental Congress into naming Vermont the 14th state, proclaiming Vermont the equal of New York or New Hampshire.

Audi of America didn't unleash its 2002 A4 in southwestern Vermont for the region's rich history, but because its beautiful crooked roads are rarely congested. Yet lolling on the summit, submerged in Vermont's natural splendor, you might be inclined to fit Audi into the theme. Audi of America spent the better part of the 1990s substantiating a proclamation of its own: "We are worthy of statehood. We are as good as New York [Mercedes-Benz] and New Hampshire [BMW].''

With refinements to its trademark quattro all-wheel drive, with the aluminum space-frame A8, five-valve cylinder heads and a Bauhaus design theme that immediately identifies the brand, Audi has chipped at the edifice of Mercedes-BMW superiority. Like Allen, the company has achieved its goal. In 2001, few enthusiasts doubt that the summit of high German sedans is occupied by three companies.

For 2002, "as good as" will no longer suffice. Audi's North American management insists that it's not content with some level of parity in public perception. Audi wants to be better. Enter the new A4.

"With this car we expect to establish a new class benchmark,'' says Walter Hanek, director of marketing at Audi of America. "That includes a new standard for luxury, refinement and... (dramatic pause) dynamic performance.''

Known internally as the B6 (the sixth compact since the Fox), the '02 A4 is a thorough revision of the car that launched Audi's revival in the United States. The A4 is the first luxury-brand automobile with a continuously variable automatic transmission. Everything--from the cabin to the stereo to electronic controls to the engine--is bigger, lighter, more powerful, better.

HOW IMPORTANT IS THE A4? Audi's sales in the States bottomed out at a feeble 12,500 cars in 1994. The next year, when the A4 was launched, the curve turned upward. In 2000, U.S. sales topped 80,000, surpassing the previous record set in 1985, before 60 Minutes had ever mentioned the Audi 5000. This year, sales are up another 7 percent even as automobile sales generally declined. Coincidence that this turnaround has accompanied the current A4's run?

Hardly. The A4 has been Audi's bestseller since launch, increasing in volume every year, even after it was crowded in Audi's own showrooms by the fine A6 sedan. At age seven, the current A4 is holding its own against a brand-new C-Class for second place on the sales chart for small European luxury sedans. That's rare in the brutal small-luxury car segment, where yesterday's stars can quickly become today's has-beens. There are 10 to 14 entries--at least one each from Acura, BMW, Cadillac, Chrysler, Infiniti, Jaguar, Lexus, Mercedes, Saab and Volvo--and some 400,000 annual sales, depending on who you include. Sales of such cars have tripled since the mid-1990s despite a market gone mad with trucks. Success at this less-expensive end is often directly related to a company's success in the larger luxury-car arena. It is crucial for Audi, because Audi is one of the few luxury brands with no truck to sell.

In other words, the 2002 A4 is a pretty important car. Among those dozen or so small-luxury sedans, Audi sees three or four as the A4's most obvious competitors: the C-Class, the perennial best-selling BMW 3 Series, the new Jaguar X-Type, and then the Lexus IS 300.

The new A4 will do battle in the same capacity as the old, according to Hanek. He says the A4 1.8T is "the value leader, aspirational yet attainable" while the new A4 3.0 is "the preferred choice, intended to be the unquestioned dynamic leader in the class." It's larger than the old A4 by every dimension (wheelbase increases 2.1 inches to 104.3, and length 2.7 inches to 179, roughly comparable to the 3 Series and C-Class).

The unibody is 45 percent stiffer, according to Audi, yet substantially lighter. There is more aluminum, and key joints are glued and welded. Theside windows are three millimeters thicker, good for a three-decibel reduction in cabin noise, Audi says. The new buttoned-down unibody is impressive; good has gotten better. You notice the perfectly matched seams and flex-free bearing almost as much as you notice the new look.

The 2002 A4 is less angular than its predecessor and a bit more bulbous, in the smooth fashion of the A6. Its beltline is higher, its greenhouse apparently longer. Nothing interrupts the flow of its profile--not even an antenna. Those for the radio, telematics and nav system are all incorporated in the rear glass. The A4 takes familial cues from both the TT and A6, including smallish side mirrors--a trend that may be stylish or aerodynamic, but not one of which we're fond.

The new panels cover new gear, starting with revised powertrains. Accounting for two engines, front-drive and quattro, manual trans, the CVT and a conventional automatic, there are seven combinations. Volkswagen's corporate 1.8-liter turbocharged four continues with 170 horsepower and 166 lb-ft of torque. The V6 has a 90-degree block, developed from Audi's V8, and is now made of aluminum, cast with technology from Cosworth Engineering (a recent Audi acquisition). The V6 has a balance shaft, variable cam timing and intake runners and Audi's five-valve heads. The company says the 3.0 is more fuel efficient and--with ultra- low-emissions certification--cleaner than the old 2.8. It's also 44 pounds lighter. Horsepower increases by 30 to 220 at 6300 rpm, while torque increases 14 lb-ft to 221. For comparison, the BMW 330i and Mercedes C320 make 225 hp, 214 lb-ft, and 215 hp, 229 lb-ft, respectively.

A4 3.0s equipped with manual transmissions (offered only with quattro) get a six-speed. Yet Audi engineers seem proudest of the new "multitronic" CVT--the first constantly variable automatic able to handle the torque generated by a 3.0-liter V6. For the time being, it will be offered only on front-drive A4s. Quattros continue with a conventional five-speed auto.

Audi's CVT has electrically operated clutch packs rather than a torque converter. The variable pulleys are connected by a heavy link-plate chain. Multitronic has fewer working parts than a conventional automatic; Audi says that it's also as quick and efficient as a manual transmission. Further, it is programmed with six pre-defined ranges, or "gears," managed by a Tiptronic sequential selector. Drivers can operate it like a conventional automatic with a sport shifter.

The improvements pile up in the 2002 A4. Its multilink front suspension has more aluminum bits, reducing unsprung weight by 12 pounds. A fully independent multilink arrangement replaces the old rear torsion beam, making room for a larger fuel tank. Shock, spring and bushing tuning for the base suspension match the 2001 sport settings. The sport package firms everything another 30 percent.

The A4's standard-equipment list will get longer when the '02 goes on sale this fall. Every car will have anti-skid electronics with automatic brake proportioning, dual-zone climate control with charcoal filtration and a 100-watt, 10-speaker stereo with six-disc in-dash changer.

Every interior dimension increases, too, though it's most obvious in the back seat, where longer-legged passengers are less likely to feel their knees pressed into the front seatbacks. The theme inside the A4 is cool, efficient Audi--not overtly stylish in the manner of the TT. The cabin beltline is trimmed with aluminum or real wood. If the drive in Vermont revealed anything to gripe about, it's the seats. A sedan intended to be the unquestioned dynamic leader should have buckets with more lateral support than those in the A4.

THE ROAD UP EQUINOX IS FAST, compared to many hillclimb courses, with long straightaways, some sweepers and a handful of true hairpins. If you're going to challenge this hill, you'd better have great brakes and enough engine to get you out of the hairpins and powered up the straights. A couple of notches below competition mode, the 2002 A4 makes a fine ride for Equinox.

In more casual travel, the first thing you notice is that nothing jumps out, with the possible exception of the new V6. The 3.0 is smoother and stronger than the 2.8--very even in its power delivery. Beyond that the new A4 is much like the old, only better. It's a balanced, grow-into-it car: Interesting enough to get your attention immediately, deep and refined enough to grow more attractive with time.

This backside thinks the 330i is still a tick quicker than the A4 3.0, but it's close enough not to commit before an AutoFile track test. Nonetheless, the 2002 is clearly the liveliest A4 yet. Rarely will you fall into the "automatic'' mode in this sedan. More often than not you'll want to stretch it, and that may be the most appealing element of all.

The 1.8T FrontTrak (for front-drive) may be the liveliest A4 of the bunch. The turbo four is noisier--harsher--than the V6, but strong enough with the manual. This car is 331 pounds lighter than a 3.0 quattro and quicker on its feet; an extra bit of understeer is countered by less body roll. Judged at the 2001 base price of $24,500, the new A4 1.8T seems quite the aspirational yet attainable Euro sports sedan.

AUDI IS EXPANDING RAPIDLY. While it has no plan to sell a truck, it's having a go with the crossover A6 allroad, and if people buying import-badged SUVs ever trickle back to cars, they might settle at Audi first. Jag has the new all-wheel-drive X-Type, and BMW has reintroduced awd in the 330ix. But neither company has the equity Audi has built in quattro.

Meantime, you'll find the new A4 at dealerships this October. Audi of America promises to keep prices as close as corporately possible to current levels. The 2001 A4 V6 starts at $30,340.

Sport sedans, small-luxury cars--whatever you call them, the class always comes back to BMW's 3 Series, the car AW readers voted the best European car sold in America. The 330i, by most accounts, is the dynamic leader. It remains to be seen whether quattro can supplant rear-drive as the enthusiast's first choice, yet within the 3 Series' continued success may lie the seeds of an Audi advantage. With BMW 3 sales on pace to easily break 100,000 for the first time, the snobs among us (including committed BMW folk) may be put off by the idea that their small sedan is more commonplace than a Pontiac Sunfire or Chrysler PT Cruiser. There's plenty of room for Audi to prosper with the A4 below the 3 Series on the sales chart.

The unquestioned dynamic leader in the class? How much does it really matter? The new A4 is one impressive small sedan, with strengths and appeal all its own, and that's why they build more than one kind of car in the first place--to give folks a choice. Ethan Allen would have understood."

Sport wood. Do you think that was intentional??