2012 Audi A4: First Drive
by Priyadarshan Bawikar Photography: Kunal Khadse
Posted on 22 Mar 201230,110 Views0 Comments
Posted on 22 Mar 201230,110 Views0 Comments
With its
siblings all grown up recently, the A4 has finally decided to step into
their shoes and do some growing up of its own. The result is the same A4
that we've come to love so much, but in a much more mature and an
absolutely brilliant guise
Get alerts on new cars reviewed by ZigWheels
A new Audi is always an interesting prospect. The Ingolstadt based auto maker is known for making cars which are not just extremely practical, but also great to drive, and this is something that the new A8, A6 and A7 have demonstrated rather well. So the chance to drive a new Audi saloon on the coastal roads around the town of Cascais in Portugal is something any automobile enthusiast would kill for. This is exactly what I had in my head as I was alighting from my flight at Lisbon airport. So when the gaggle of auto media was told that the A4 we’d be driving wasn’t really a new car, but more of an upgrade, slight looks of disappointment could be seen all around the room.
But still, with the amount of changes the presenters from Audi listed out, some amount of hope was beginning to return. A mad rush to get our hands on the cars in the parking lot at Lisbon airport left me with the 1.8 TFSI model, that too with the 6-speed manual gearbox. Great! But that rush also ensured that no one really got the opportunity to examine all the exterior changes that Audi has incorporated in this upgraded A4. So first impressions were left to the interiors, and the first reaction was, “Wait a second, isn’t this the A6?”
Audi has gone to great lengths to get their current design language, which also includes all the interior trim, common between all their platforms. And this is not a bad thing at all, because what they’ve done with these interiors is simply fabulous. Rich black plastics, wood trim and dark tan leather upholstery adorn the insides, forming a wonderful cocoon around you and making you feel instantly at ease with the car. The changes over the interiors of the current A4 aren’t drastic, but all the subtle ones amount to a feel that is much more opulent. A case in point being the three-spoke steering wheel which not only looks good, but is an absolute delight to grip in your hands.
| ||||||
| ||||||
No comments:
Post a Comment