Audi A4 2019 review

As with the exterior, the changes Audi has introduced to the cabin are also relatively minor. That said, it’s these small changes that seem to have the greatest effect on the A4’s overall desirability. 

There’s a new 10.1in touchscreen that runs the latest-generation MMI software, and a new digital cockpit to replace the previous car’s analogue dials too. Not only do they give the A4’s cabin a new lease of life, they instantly see it return to the sharp end of the class in terms of tech appeal as well. Admittedly, the touchscreen might be slightly tricky to use on the move, but it’s hard not to be impressed by its slick graphics and responsiveness. The fact that it retains all of its physical HVAC controls is a big tick in my book, too.Our test car’s 40 TFSI petrol engine was typically smooth and refined too. Mated to Audi’s seven-speed S-Tronic transmissions and sending its drive exclusively to the front wheels, it’s at its most willing from above 2000rpm. Below this point it can feel as if it hasn’t quite woken up, even though peak torque is technically accessible from as low as 1450rpm. Once it has, though, there’s a willing powertrain here. 

With 187bhp and 236lb ft to call on, it gets up to speed in tidy enough fashion, and will dispatch overtakes with little in the way of drama. It’s not blisteringly fast, but it’s quiet and unobtrusive - and that’s really what you want from a car like this, isn’t it? The transmission can seem a touch hesitant at times, though, preferring to hold on to a gear rather than kick down as you gradually use up the throttle pedal’s travel.

There’s not much in the way of feedback to be gleaned from the A4’s steering, but there’s a natural sense of weight here that inspires enough confidence in the car’s road-holding abilities. There’s a sense of tautness about its ride too, but this isn’t so pronounced as to compromise comfort. It makes for impressive body control through bends, too.