Audi has brought the performance variants of the all-new A4 – the S4 and S4 Avant – to Frankfurt. What distinguish the S4s from the A4 is the aluminium mirror housings, the unique rear bumpers and the four tail pipes. The cars are powered by a 3.0-litre turbocharged V6, rated at 349bhp and 51kgm of peak torque accelerates the S4 from 0-100kph in just 4.7 seconds, shaving 0.3 seconds off from the previous generation S4’s time. The engine comes mated to an 8-speed tip-tronic transmission.
The S4 sedan tips the scales at 1,630kg while the Avant weighs 1,675kg, over 100kg lighter than the outgoing cars. Like all S-line Audis, the S4 features the Quattro all-wheel-drive system with a 60:40 rear-to-front bias for torque distribution under normal driving conditions.
Designed to look different from the Audi A4, the most prominent changes include prominent horizontal lines, a new S grade bumper with honeycomb mesh housing and quadruple exhaust pipes.
Both the Audi S4 and the S4 Avant feature a newly developed five-link suspension setup. The standard 'S sport(or S Line)' suspension is 23mm (0.9 in) lower than on the regular A4, while the ride height remains the same with the optional suspension with active damper control. The S4 gets an optional speed-dependent dynamic steering.
The previous-gen S4 was introduced in India, however it remains to be seen if this new model makes it to our shores.