By LAWRENCE TAN
Audi’s new S4 and S4 Avant will break cover at next month’s
Paris motor show but the German automaker has released details on the twin
debuts. No surprises on the exterior design but the significant changes lie in
the heart of the S4.
Audi has opted to go with a new supercharged 3.0-liter TFSI
V6 engine in favor of a twin turbocharger. As to why the ‘T’ is still there,
Audi says the ‘T’ no longer stands for “turbocharged” but refers to “the
concept of supercharging” in general.
Nevertheless, the V6 engine is not short on power as it
propels the S4 to 100km/h in 5.1s, with the S4 Avant making the same sprint in
5.2s. Both models are supposed to provide a much better fuel economy (their
respective 9.7liters/100 km and 9.9 liters/100km are an improvement of 3.4
liters compared to their predecessors).
A new seven-speed S tronic transmission, which allows for
lightning-fast gearshifts to a few hundredths of a second, comes as an option
for those not content with the six-speed standard.
In addition, the new active
sports differential complements the Quattro all-wheel drive system in the S4
and S4 Avant, requiring only less than 100 milliseconds to redirect power to
the wheels. Audi expects to deliver the new S models in March 2009.
www.audi.com