Audi A4

2001 August: Audi reports that it will have the new Audi A4 Cabriolet at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2001. It will will go on sale in "spring 2002 (Europe)", and in Australia in 2003. The show car is 4.57m×1.77m and that soft top is fully automatic.

The cabriolet will be available with a 3-litre V6 (162kW, 300Nm) or a 2.4-litre V6 (125kW, 230Nm). The continouously variable transmission (CVT) (already in the sedan) will also be available.

"An active roll-over protection system" pops up two roll-over bars if sensors detect that the car is about to overturn. Other safery features are ABS brakes with ESP, seat belt pretensioners & force limiters, and a body said to be twice as rigid as the previous acbriolet.

2001 June 25: The 2001 model year Audi A4 will go on sale in Australia in July. Engine options are the 1.8-litre turbo' (110kW), and 2.0-litre (96kW), with a 3-litre V6 (160kW) to be "added to the range in late 2001."

Prices will be "between $47,400 and $84,500" ($au).

Audi hopes to sell about 1,200 of the new A4s by December 2001.

The option of a multitronic gearbox (continuously variable automatic transmission, CVT) is a first locally. It should deliver improved fuel economy and smoother driving, and people will be watching its durability closely. More conventional manual and Tiptronic gearboxes are also available - www.4wdonline.com

Audi A4 sedan, 5-seats, 4-doors, ABS, airbags, Sideguard bags, lap-sash belts ×5 (see NCAP tests),
loa: 4547mm, width: 1766mm, height: 1428mm,
engines: 2-litre petrol 4-cyl (1984cc, 5-valves/cyl, 96kW at 5700rpm), 1.8-litre petrol turbo' 4-cyl (110kW, 210Nm at 1750rpm), 3-litre V6 (2976cc, 5-valves/cyl, 132kW at 6300rpm, 300Nm at 3200rpm),
& in Europe TDI 1.9-litre 4-cyl (96kW), 2.5-litre V6 (132kW),
transmission: 5m/ 6m/ Tiptonic/ multitronic CVT (front-wd only), front wheel drive/ Quattro all wheel drive,
suspension: indep/ indep, brakes: disc/ disc, ABS, ESP
tyres: 195/65R15, 205/55R16 (1.8TQ), 235/45R17 (3.0), fuel tank: 70L,
equipment: cruise control, climate control air-con', CD-player, fog lights, alloy wheels,
options: navigation system, Bose sound system,
prices: 2.0-litre manual $47,400, 2.0-litre multitronic $49,900, 1.8-litre Turbo quattro manual $59,400, 3.0-litre multitronic $80,500, 3.0 quattro Tiptronic $84,500 ($au 4/2001),
rivals: Alfa Romeo 156, BMW 3-series, Jaguar X-type, Lexus IS200, Mercedes C-class.

2001 June: The new model Audi A4 Avant (i.e. station wagon) due to be released in Europe in September 2001 and in Australia in 2002.

The Avant will be available with petrol and TDI (turbo diesel) engines, and `multitronic' continuously variable transmission.

2000 October 10: The new Audi A4 was shown at Audi centres in European capital cities. The car has grown, as they do, now being 69mm longer at 4547mm, 33mm wider at 1766mm, 13mm taller at 1428mm, and having a 33mm longer wheel-base than the previous model (the B5 1996 - 2001). The new A4 should go on sale in Australia ~September 2001.

The new body is roomier, but said to be more rigid than the old, Audi continuing to make extensive use of aluminium in the frame and suspension. "The percentage by weight of the lightweight materials aluminium and magnesium and of plastics has risen significantly; the proportion of steel and iron on the new A4 has been cut by as much as 7.5%."

The top engine option is a new 2976cc V6 with 5-valves per cylinder, producing 162kW at 6300rpm and 300Nm at 3200rpm. It is said to share few components with existing the 2.8 litre V6. A new 1984cc 4-cylinder engine, with 5-valves/ cyl', is also available. Both engines have variable inlet-valve timing and two-position variable intake manifolds. The base engine is the familiar 1.8 litre 4-cylinder. [www.4wdonline.com/4WD.html]

Diesel options are a 2.5 TDI V6 (132kW, 370Nm from 1500 - 2500rpm) and a 1.9 TDI 4-cylinder (96kW at 4000rpm, 285Nm at 1750rpm). A 1-100km/h time of 8.6 seconds is claimed for the former fitted with a 6-speed manual gearbox and quattro 4WD.

A "multitronic" continuously variable automatic transmission, i.e. CVT, is now an option with even the V6, the CVT being able to handle 310Nm, it is said.

Four cylinder A4s get 195/65 R15 tyres on 15-inch wheels; six cylinder A4s get 205/55 R16 (2.5 TDI) or 215/55 R16 (3.0) tyres on 16-inch wheels. Tyre sizes up to 235/45 R17 are optional.

Drive by wire features include electronic stability program (ESP), and brake assist system (BAS).

Safety features include air-bags and seat belt pretensioners. Sideguard air-bags are also standard and "covers virtually the entire area of the side windows, from the A-post to the C/D-post."

German owners benefit from Audi telematics which picks up information from traffic flow sensors on most autobahns, warning of traffic jams.

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