The Other German

The stance and the lines are unmistakably Teutonic. The slab-sided panels and the compass-drawn wheel arcs closely conform to the form-follows-function principle. The fit and finish also speak of the painstaking German attention to detail and strict observance of quality. The car is not manufactured in Bavaria nor Stuttgart but in Ingolstadt, Germany. It is not adorned by a tri-star or a blue-and-white emblem but it proudly wears the four rings that signify the companies that united to form its fore-bearer, Auto Union. This German car is the Audi A4.

Launched last Monday at the Power Plant in Rockwell by Auto Prominence Corporation, the local distributor of Audi, Volkswagen and Rolls Royce cars in the country, the A4 is one of the most important models in the Audi product line. The previous A4 introduced in 1995 has successfully established itself as a key player in the European luxury-sedan market against perennial favorites such as the BMW 3-series and the Mercedes Benz C-class sedans and has also revitalized Audi’s presence in the market, especially in North America, where it has been known as "the alternative German sports sedan".

The new A4 is no shadow of its former self but it has big shoes to fill. Fortunately, it is bigger inside and out, more powerful, more rigid, and contains more high-tech safety and performance features than its predecessor. The new car is 110 lbs heavier but boasts of a body structure that is 45-percent stiffer and a styling that mirrors its more expensive stable mate, the A6. The luxuriously appointed interior approaches near-A6 spaciousness when the wheelbase was stretched by 1.3 inches to 104.3 and the overall length was increased by 2.3 inches to 179. More importantly, the rear leg room has grown by 1.6 inches, answering an area of criticism in the previous car.

The new A4 benefits from Audi’s FrontTrak front-wheel drive but features a new available Multitronic Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT) as an option to the 5-speed manual. A 1.8-liter in-line 4-cylinder engine with double overhead camshafts (DOHC), 5 valves per cylinder technology, variable intake valve timing and twin balance shafts provides 130 bhp of smooth power. An optional turbocharged version provides the added excitement of 170 bhp@5900rpm and 166ft-lbs of torque from 1950rpm to 5000rpm and is mated either to the manual or a 5-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission instead of the Multitronic CVT.

All 2003 A4 models feature an improved 4-link independent front suspension and a new trapezoidal multi-link rear suspension which pivots on a rubber-insulated sub frame. This ensures that the A4 has a comfortable yet sure-footed ride that will appeal to both hard-core sport sedan drivers and luxury car owners. Ventilated disc brakes on all four corners are controlled by a 4-channel Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) with electronic brake pressure distribution (ABD) and Electronic Stability Program (ESP). 235/45-17 Michelin Pilots mounted on 17x7.5 5-spoke cast aluminum wheels transfer your driving thoughts to maneuvers on the ground.

Dual-zone climate control and a 10-speaker 150-watt audio system with a 6-disc in-dash CD changer, in addition to the leather seats, rose-veneer wood panels and luxurious carpets ensure the occupants are comfortably pampered. The driver faces a thick 3-spoke steering wheel while red-lit instruments and control knobs are functionally arrayed on the dash and the console. The finish is top notch and the inherent luxury comes from the car’s overall build quality.

The ergonomic interior gives an overall impression of the driver being one with the car. It may be a bit narrow for some, but the fit would allow one to be close knit with the car when tackling winding roads and sharp curves. And with the high-tech features and overall quality engineering built into it, the car is expected to respond well to the driver’s inputs, with typical Teutonic sharpness while providing a decidedly luxurious ride.

At P1.7M for the A4 1.6 MT, P2.2M for the 1.8 CVT and P2.3M for the turbocharged 1.8T, Auto Prominence is confident the market will respond well to the new A4. Hopefully, well enough to lure those prominent few, especially BMW and Mercedes Benz buyers, into the Audi fold.