We’d say that what’s good for the goose is good for the gander, but, between the Audi A4 and A5, we’re not sure which is the female and which is the male. We don’t know what it says about us, but we like them both. The A4 and A5, we mean. Following the lead of the recently face-lifted Audi A5 and S5, Audi’s A4 and S4 sedans get similar cosmetic updates and technological additions for the 2013 model year.
It’s a little obvious to say that the most evident change to the A4 and S4 is the front fascia, but it’s unavoidable. The new headlights and rounded nose very much mimic those of the new A6, giving the car a more streamlined look. Even if you’re not a geek for automotive design, compare this car with the A4 of the late 1990s and it’s easy to appreciate the influence of angles and creases on cars that previously looked like suppositories. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that—we hear suppositories have low wind resistance and great fuel economy.)
While the powertrains carry over—a 211-hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged four for the A4 and a 333-hp, 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 for the S4—Audi has taken care to add more gadgetry to keep its mainstay sedan competitive. This includes updates to the optional MMI infotainment system; our favorite is the addition of a touch-sensitive pad that allows the driver to input commands to the nav system by “writing” letters with a finger. Audi has already implemented this system in the A6, A7, and A8, and we’ve found that it works extremely well at deciphering even the most chicken-scratch handwriting.
The European press release for the A4 also includes info on the wagon and Allroad versions. We know that the A4 Allroad is headed here, so we suspect the regular A4 Avant is going to bite the bullet in the States. An Audi rep’s comment that a final decision hasn’t yet been made solidifies this hypothesis.
Between the attractive front end and some new toys, the dynamically strong A4 should be able to minimize defections to the all-new BMW 3-series. When the next A4 arrives in a few years, that model will pack a diesel engine and, we suspect, many other big-picture updates that were just too costly to implement with this face lift. The goose and gander don’t mind waiting a few years, right?
