Audi India will launch the latest iteration of its A4 sedan in India on May 03, 2012, even though it was expected to hit the roads in 2013 only. The company may have decided to bring the car earlier to the country in order to ward off competition from the BMW 3-Series, which is expected to be rolled out in a few months in India. It showcased the images of the facelifted model in October 2011 and presented the model a while ago in the international market.
A4's newest edition has edgier headlights as compared to the curved lamps of the predecessor, along with the new LED strip. Almost all of the exterior panels of the car feature some modifications, including the tail lamps. Talking about the interiors, the car has new LED design elements as well as a simplified MMI system. The design of the new A4 is similar to that of the latest editions of A6 and A8 models.
The company has also introduced a number of new engines in the A4 in order to appease the customers. In the international market, the car maker offers a total of 6 diesel and petrol engines that have forced induction as well as Audi's patented FSI direct injection technologies. It is expected that the 2.0 L turbocharged petrol engine and 2.0 L diesel engine will hit the country, though the 1.8 L TSFI unit will be missing. The petrol engine coming to India will deliver 18 bhp of power, whereas the diesel unit will produce 158 bhp.
Quattro all-wheel drive technology will be assimilated with all the engines except the 1.8 petrol motor. The FWD variant of the 2.0 L diesel engine may also be launched in India in order to offer a highly fuel efficient model in the country. Sports differential with torque vectoring will come with the variants that are powered by V6 engine in order to improve their handling. Buyers will be able to choose between the 6 speed manual and Multitronic CVT gearboxes, along with S tronic transmission system (a 7 speed DSG unit). Apart from these, an 8 speed automatic gearbox has also been launched internationally, though it is not expected to come to India.
Just like Volkswagen Jetta, the new Audi A4 will feature an electromechanical steering system that increases the model's fuel efficiency. The car will also have automatic start / stop, brake energy recuperation and other similar features that add to its performance by improving its mileage by 11 per cent over its predecessor.
