`Vorsprung durch Technik' proves most popular with Europe's most demanding customers
As UK Audi Centers prepare for the arrival of the critically acclaimed S4 on March 28th, their counterparts in Germany have further lifted the already positive mood by confirming that the A4 ranked as the country's best selling premium car there in 2008. No other model range in the premium segment surpassed the 98,714 sales achieved by the A4 last year, with Diesel versions also outselling their direct rivals by more than 16,000 cars.
The latest and largest Audi A4 - the eighth compact executive class model for the company and the mainstay of the Audi line-up - accounted for almost 40 per cent of German Audi sales and significantly outperformed its closest segment rivals in 2008 as a whole.
Sales of the A4 saloon and Avant (estate) range, which began three generations ago in 1994, have been steadily building in the home market for the fast-rising Audi brand. The combination of leading edge technology and design with a wide choice of efficient engines and unique transmissions has proven to be a winning formula for attracting demanding German drivers to the "Four Rings".
The success of the Advanced A4 was also a major contributor to the milestone breakthrough of one million worldwide Audi car sales in 2008 for the first time.
A4 Now Available With S tronic dual clutch technology
A milestone in transmission technology is now available in the Audi A4 - uniquely the fourth transmission type available in this model range. The S tronic dual-clutch option joins the familiar tiptronic, multitronic and manual transmissions to broaden the appeal of the fast expanding A4 range.
The new seven-speed S tronic transmission arrived in the A4 range just weeks ago with a new design to fit longitudinally in the car. This state of the art transmission is both sporty and very fuel efficient.
A genuine marvel of engineering, S tronic caused a sensation when it debuted in the Audi TT 3.2 quattro in spring 2003, and has been lauded throughout its evolution to this new, even more applicable configuration. It combines the advantages of a compact seven-speed manual transmission with the qualities of a refined and modern automatic.
A4 delivers a major cut in CO2 Output for UK
Key technical advances in fuel efficiency have seen Audi reduce its average CO2 g/km figure by over 8.08 per cent overall last year compared with 2007, according to the Clean Green Cars web site. In the A4 range, the 2.0 TDI can lay claim to the lowest CO2 emissions, contributing to a 13.39 per cent overall reduction in output for this particular range - the best year on year improvement of any large model range on sale in the UK in 2008.
The car's understated exterior styling and excellent build quality remain, and are combined with new Vorsprung Durch Technik (translated Progress through Technology) features in the form of the Audi drive select system, which allows the driver to fine-tune the car's `behavior' by adjusting elements such as the throttle response, the steering and the suspension.
Adaptive Cruise Control, which adjusts the car's speed to keep it a set distance behind a car in front, Side Assist and Lane Assist packages further enhance the larger A4 available in SE and S Line trim options.
Sister products to the highly successful A4 models also led their segments in sales terms in their home market, with the Audi A6 also topping its segment with 45,304 registrations. The second generation Audi TT found as many as 10,630 German customers, making the stylish and advanced aluminum hybrid model the most successful sports car in Germany in 2008.