The new A4? Its styling is evolutionary at best, although closer examination reveals that not a single part and detail has been carried over from the predecessor. Audi's mid-size sedan has been entirely redesigned for the 2017 model year, and we had a chance to spend time behind the wheel of the new model on its European home turf.  If you care to see just how new it is, step inside and be ready to enter an entirely different world. With horizontal and angular lines, metal decor and extremely narrow gaps, it is a design revelation, possibly the segment's new benchmark - next to the more sensual and more elegant, but less techno-futuristic Mercedes-Benz C-class.  The Audi's instrument cluster looks as futuristic as the center screen, which is now fixed. That’s because once the car has started, everyone leaves it up anyway. A motorized screen would also have been virtually impossible to fit into the A4's super-slim dashboard design.  Unlike the subtle exterior changes, the A4's interior makeover represents cutting-edge technology and modernism. Thankfully, the rest of this Audi also delivers on these forward-thinking themes.  Even the Europe-only 1.4 TFSI engine, a four cylinder with just 150-horsepower, manages to move the A4 with gusto. This is essentially the U.S.-market, entry-level VW Jetta engine, and the fact that it feels so zippy is testament to the A4's low weight and engineering excellence.  U.S. customers have it even better: The base engine here will be the 2.0-liter TFSI four with 190-horsepower, and there is an uplevel version with 252-horsepower. The lively nature of these powertrains helps the A4 stand out amongst many other luxury sedan rivals. Audi's horses are agile and ever-present, they work extremely well with the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, an ultra-quick gearbox tailored for sporty driving.  There will be the other versions as well, on both sides of the sport and economy spectrums. Audi will offer the 354-horsepower S4, powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6, along with a 190-horsepower 2.0-liter TDI.  Yes, the diesel engine fiasco that is rocking the VW Group has suddenly turned the TDI engine into a four-lettered word in the automotive market. Don’t be completely disuaded from considering a diesel, however. Quiet, torquey, and with real-life mileage that puts many hybrids to shame, modern (and correctly calibrated!) diesel engines have many excellent attributes. Between now and launch, Audi should have ample time to fix any software gremlins.  In fact, a 2017 Audi A4 diesel could be the steal of the century once the model starts arriving on dealer lots...watch this space!  As in previous versions, the newest A4 comes with a choice of front or all-wheel-drive. During our test drive, the front-wheel-drive version was so eager to turn into corners that our passenger, obviously not well-versed in Audi's history, asked whether he was being chauffeured around in a rear-wheel-drive car.  We detected absolutely zero understeer – and Audi’s Quattro AWD should make things even more entertaining from behind the wheel. The A4 is comfortable, too, and not in an old-fashioned, over-stuffed sofa kind of way. The ride is firm and taut, so you can travel for hundreds of miles without feeling tired or worn out.  The A4 also proved extremely quiet. Audi says interior noise levels match those of the current A8, and we fully believe it. The exterior mirrors, for instance, are designed so they create zero wind noise. The overall drag efficient of 0.23 for a European-market version is class-leading, and topped only by the smaller Mercedes-Benz CLA.  BMW and Mercedes-Benz have ditched Bang&Olufsen in order to work with other hi-fi experts, but Audi is sticking with the Danes. The result is remarkable when you hear it! The system’s 3-D sound is first-class, and the cooly aloof B&O design theme perfectly complements the edgy interior of the new A4.  Both design and tech geeks will love that the full-width air vents look almost exactly like those on the 1970s and early-1980s Audi 100/5000. The heating and air conditioning interface has also been designed to bear a resemblance to a 1970s in-car stereo system.  Seldom has a modest exterior (one that really borders on dullness) hidden such an upmarket and cutting-edge tech package. We are not sure Audi made the right choice in this regard. Exterior design is what makes people fall in love with cars, and what eventually sells them.  If you are shopping for a BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Cadillac ATS, or Lexus IS, we highly recommend you add the new A4 to your shopping list. This world-class sedan excels in so many ways, it could become the new standard of its class – that is, if anyone notices it’s brand new in the first place.
You might never notice the 2017 Audi A4 is brand new. But after a test drive, you’ll never forget it!