India Post News Service

NEW DELHI: After the launch of the new Mercedes C class, BMW also facelifted the 3 series and rationalized the prices to stay up in the competition and now the Indian market is all set to confront the launch of the new Audi A4 next month. After successfully starting the production of the world's most successful luxury midsize sedan - the Audi A6 - at its Aurangabad site, Audi continues to make its mark in India's expanding car market.

The German company will also invest more than 30 million euros in production alone in India.Audi calls this car the new A4, but it's not really all-new. It's a heavily reworked version with a Latin touch of the A4 that was first launched in 2002. This car has a new nose, new door panels, a new tail and a host of new mechanicals. The man responsible for the new look is the Italian ex-Alfa Romeo designer, Walter Da Silva.Apart from the big grille and the bulging bonnet are the dramatic headlights with string of distinctive LED daytime running lamps.

The tail-lights have a similar tapering profile too. The looks, the headlights, grille and tail-lights all come from Audi's show car called the Nuvolari.With the traditional Audi qualities intact, the build and the fit qualities are amongst the best. Panel gaps are down to micron precision, the paint looks wet and the way the doors shut is so impressive that you might just open and shut the doors for a few times to have the feel of it.

The quality and design of the insides keeps pace with the exteriors, but the design is predictably Audi with simple elements and lots of grey plastic. Audi wants its quality to lure customers and this is evident from everything you touch and use on the car. The plastic cladding and dashboard plastics just look flawless, and even the seats seem just right. Only the plastic buttons lack that quality looks, especially those on the central console.

The new Audi A4 is being launched in India first with a choice of two refined, powerful engines - the 2.0 TDI multitronic with a power-output range of 105 kW (143 bhp) and the 3.2 FSI tiptronic Quattro with 195 kW (265 bhp). Both of them use the direct fuel injection principle - FSI technology for the petrol engine and the common-rail system for the TDI unit.The Audi A4 will come with high standard equipments to India, including features previously known only from upper segments.

Audi brings the Multi Media Interface (MMI) as available option to the Audi A4, additionally the Optical Parking System with rear-view camera and the Bang & Olufsen Sound System.Audi Drive Select ensures that the vehicle characteristics are adjusted on the driving situation, road conditions or personal requirements and provides three different modes for agility and comfort. The steering wheel is accurate but it is too light and does not load up when you wind on lock into corners.

This is one area where the BMW 3 series can outdrive the new sedan.Since Germany's roads don't allow you to get a good idea of how well a car will take on the roads in India so the A4 that will be imported into India is likely to come with taller springs which will be more suitable to our rough conditions. With its attractive looks, top flight brand, bullet-proof build and friendly dynamics and the price range starting from 29,00,000 INR (Ex-showroom Mumbai) the A4 will be a worthy competitor to the Mercedes C-class and the BMW 3 series.

Orders for the new Audi A4, who won already several awards in Germany and Europe, can be placed from now onwards in the exclusive Audi dealerships. Audi versus Mercedes versus BMW, the Indian luxury car buyer will soon be king.