September 7, 2012

• Advertorial Feature

  
  

  
  

  SCORE! I recently got my hands on the new Audi A4 to test drive

  The good people at Premium Automobiles provided excellent service the moment I walked in, the valets and receptionist were courteous and friendly even though they had no idea that I was reviewing one of their models.

   

  

   

  You can’t deny Audi makes some very attractive cars. 

  I have been admiring the gleaming aesthetic of the Audi range as they gained prominence in recent years. The showroom provided me with plenty of shiny eye candy as I waited.

  I got the keys and I was good to go. First thing to do:

  Pick up my friends for a fun day out to who-knows-where-the-road will-take-us.

  **Disclaimer: I am not an automobile expert. This is not meant to be a professional car review. For serious technical jargon, please direct yourself to Google search or Top Gear on tv!

  Personally, there are only three very simple criteria I have for a car.

  1. Design – It looks good.

  2. Performance – It feels and drives good.
  3. Image – It has a good branding concept that fits my lifestyle

  DESIGN

  

  The A4 is gorgeous, so it passes with flying colors here. The saloon’s silhouette is a classic sedan shape with modern refinement. It is elegant yet sporty with beautifully balanced curves. 

  Audi certainly put their “best face forward”. The front has rounded arches giving a nice 3-dimensional effect. The distinctive grills combine with the striking rings of the Audi logo harmoniously. Xenon plus headlights give extra punch. All in all, it’s a dynamic and powerful look that is a perfect blend of stylish minimalism, gracefulness and a right dose of “fierce”.

  
  I like my cars to look strong and cool, no “weak”, “cute” or “boring” cars for me please!

  The design is neither too girly nor too masculine. I imagine it will suit both sexes easily. Buy one and your whole family will be happy driving it!

  The Audi A4 fits the bill perfectly as a car with an air of sophisticated city chic. I like that it doesn’t scream expensive in a loud flashy manner; rather it whispers luxury and seduces you with classy subtlety.

  

  For our little day trip, I sped the car along the ECP and drove my friends to the end of the island in Changi. It was just us in the middle of nowhere – endless roads, grassland, airplanes overhead in the sky and the gentle lapping waves of the sea.

  A fun day away from the congested city

   
      

  

  

   

  

   Test car’s rims aren’t so nice. Opt for bigger rims and it’ll look even better.

  Let me show you:

   
  

  
  

  

  Drooling yet?

  The interior is sleek and shows a high quality of workmanship. Everything feels solid and durable yet top-notch.

   

  The upholstery is made of Fine Nappa leather. It’s not the softest I’ve sat in but it is still nice and plush.

  The sport steering wheel is also leather, and it felt nice to grip. It’s a multifunction steering wheel, meaning air conditioning, music and other functions can be directly operated from controls on it. High-gloss applications and the slender chrome trims add luxe finishings to the inside.

  

  

  Audi offers a whole kit of state-of-the-art infotainment systems for its A4 series. The chorus CD radio with eight speakers is standard, while the MMI navigation plus system with large hard disk, color monitor, 3D graphics and DVD player forms the top of the line. Voice control and the optional digital audio broadcasting are further improvements to the system.

   

   

  Drink holders are great for me to place my fruit juice or coffee while on the go.

   

  The parking brake has been dramatically shrunk, so to speak! It is now configured as a cool little tab by the gear shift that you simply pull or press up and down.

   

  Fans of minimalistic, high-tech driving would like this! Those who like to rally and drift, this one’s not for you.

   

  As it is, the car is already roomy and very comfortably fit three friends in the back (plus shopping bags, cameras and all my shoes!), My friends commented that there was enough leg space without feeling cramped.

  Have you ever traveled in a group and had trouble squeezing several pieces of luggage into the trunk of the cab or car? I know some have rather pathetically sized boot space. Especially those of you who do lots of shopping on your holidays – you’re probably familiar with this problem!

  Now you can pack your worries away because another awesome feature of the A4 is the EXTRA SPACE it gives you.

  

  

  If it fit the 3 of us, it’ll fit a lot of things!

   

  The trunk space is huge enough to easily store away bodies of kidnapped girls, and other large bulky items that you need to transport from time to time

   

  Super convenient and easy peasy with the fold down seats

  The luggage compartment has 480-liter capacity expandable to 962 liters with seats down (16.95 and 33.97 cubic ft).

  Another plus point, especially for klutzy folks like myself – there are under-seat lights so passengers in the rear can find dropped items easily at night!

  On blindingly sunny days, use the manual side window blinds to shield you.

  Overall comfort level is high on the 2012 Audi A4. Attention to detail, the build quality, fit and finish are very good.

   

  PERFORMANCE

  The Audi A4 is a powerful car for its class type. In case you didn’t know, I’m a speed demon who enjoys driving fast. Driving a slow car makes me miserable >.<

  Fortunately, I found the A4 was fast and had pretty quick acceleration to 100km/hr in about 7 seconds.

  The engine is mated to an 7 speed S-Tronic automatic gearbox, and its powerful delivery is clearly felt. The engine idles with a smooth, refined note.

  When I drove the A4 I was astonished at its super light handling. Some drivers might prefer a more solid steering feel, but I think this makes it great drivers who have to drive around a lot and may get tired, or women who want easy control.

  While pushing the car out on the open ECP highway, the ride nonetheless felt composed and stable. I felt confident driving it even at 3-digit high speeds. Braking is one area that the A4 came shining through. Torque while making turns was also rather impressive.

  

  Such a breezy drive, don’t fall asleep at the wheel now

  Another high-end feature that gives the A4 a special status in its class is Audi drive select. In the basic package, the driver can switch the characteristic of the accelerator, the shift points of the automatic transmission, the power steering and the automatic air conditioning between the four modes – “comfort,” “auto,” “dynamic” and “efficiency.”

   

  The start-stop system startled me at first! When I stopped at a light, the car would suddenly quiet down and seem to turn off completely. Then it’d rumble and shake up to life again when I released the foot brake. I thought there was something terribly wrong with the car.

  Then I realized this was Audi’s energy-saving start-stop system that helps to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by switching the engine off when the vehicle is at a standstill. Consumption levels have dropped by 11 percent on average.

  This makes the A4 one of the most fuel economical cars in its class. To do my bit for the environment, I’d gladly get used to this!

   

  The A4 comes equipped with Audi’s special TFSI® engine, a turbocharged, direct-injection system.

   
  

  

   

  The four-cylinder engine delivers sporty thrust, with a power output of 125 kW (170 hp) and 320 Nm (236.02 lb-ft) of torque.

  More detailed technical specs:

  

   

   

  IMAGE

  From the Transporter series to Iron Man, Audi has captured many hearts with their product placements in movies. Because their cars look amazing, and well, Tony Stark drives one!

  

  I feel Audi has undergone an extremely successful branding exercise in the past couple of years and have outpaced many competitors. Their new image portrays a hip and modern style of contemporary luxury.

  And it’s not all superficiality only – the German precision motoring is synonymous with power, performance and progress. Indeed, their motto is ““Vorsprung Durch Technik”, which means  –“progress through technology”.

   

   

  

   

  Driving an Audi not only gets you noticed, it makes a statement.

   

  Verdict:

  The Audi A4 is exciting to drive and certainly one of the most handsome options in its segment.

   

  Lead the way with confidence and set the pace in life with the new Audi A4

  I know I want to!

   

   

  More photos with the ride.

   

   

   
  

  

   
  

   

  

  

  

   

   
  

  I’d make my A4 this color!

  
  

  Audi A4 1.8 TFSI, multitronic®, 4-cylinder, 125 kW (170 bhp), Front-wheel drive, Right-hand drive.
  Prices start from S$201,000.

   

  See for yourself and take a test drive at:

  Premium Automobiles

  Leng Kee Showroom
  9 Leng Kee Road.
  Singapore 159090.
  Tel: 65-6566 1111
  Fax: 65-6471 3733

  
  

  *Photo credits: my friend Adam Stamenkovic from bespokebrides.com
  
  

  • 11:19 am
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