The updated Audi A4: All you need to know

Over seven and a half million units of the A4 have been produced worldwide since the executive sedan was launched 25 years ago. According to Audi, this means that one in five cars is actually an Audi A4.

Numbers aside, we recently managed to get up close and personal with the revised Audi. Here are some of the key things you need to know about it.

1. It's a mild hybrid

The Audi A4 model that Singapore will be getting next year will come equipped with a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder powerplant. It's rated at 188bhp and 320Nm of torque, which will send the car flying past the 100km/h mark in 7.3 seconds.

More relevantly, the engine will come with a 12V mild hybrid system, that will not be used to boost the car's performance, but will instead be used to reduce the fuel consumption. The engines in the S models, on the other hand, are assisted by a stronger 48V mild hybrid system.

2. The juicier Audi S4 will follow suit

As you would have predicted, the more powerful Audi S4 Sedan will also be arriving on our shores. However, the exact time cannot be confirmed just yet. Although at the launch in Bolzano, Italy, only the S4 TDI variants were launched, the car will be in a petrol guise for the Singapore market.

You can expect a turbocharged 3.0-litre TFSI V6 engine that will send 349 strong horses and 500Nm of twisting force to all wheels. The century sprint should thus be completed in approximately 4.7 seconds before hitting a top speed of 250km/h.

3. The Audi A4 prioritises comfort

This is definitely not a bad thing, methinks. In fact, making comfort the A4's priority could well be the best thing that happened to the car. During our drive in Italy, piloting over pockmarked and badly-paved roads was a common occurrence, but the Audi managed to take them all in its stride.

Also, at highway speeds, the A4 also manages to keep external noises well at bay, even with the 18-inch shoes that were fitted on our test car. All these add up to make the A4 the perfect car for families.

4. New operating concept for the infotainment system

There's now a new operating concept for the crisp 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system that functions via touch inputs instead of a rotary knob. Not only has this allowed the Audi A4 to have a neater centre console (since the rotary knob and its surrounding buttons have been removed), navigating through the different functions has become a lot easier (similar to that of your smartphone).

The ease of usage has largely to do with the fact that Audi has cleaned up the menu structure with its tight hierarchies to tailor to user expectations.

5. All panels have been changed except for the roof and the bonnet

Massive changes were made to the revised Audi A4. For instance, the Singleframe grille is now broader, the bold shoulder line at the side of the car has been broken to emphasise its profile and the rear sports a new set of LED taillights that are connected by a continuous chrome strip.

Hence, all the different panels of the Audi A4 have been changed to cater to these alterations. All but two - the roof as well as the bonnet.