The sporty Audi A4 has been given a complete makeover, with an all-new engine to match its elegant, corporate good looks The Audi A4 has been relaunched as an all-new model after just four years in the showroom, a remarkably short time span by the standards of European cars. Outwardly, the most noticeable change is the new grille design, which is inspired by the Nuvolari compact car. The design gives the new A4 the same corporate look as the Audi A8 and A6. Family resemblance is important to European manufacturers. Although the car looks similar in size, style and proportion to the outgoing model, the body of the latest A4 is new. There is a more pronounced bulge to the bonnet, the wings are wider and the beltline is raised. Overall length is increased by 38mm, although this mostly goes on creating a bigger boot and larger crumple zone at the front. The wheelbase is 2mm shorter to improve handling. The previous rectangular headlights and tail lamps are restyled. The A4 looks elegant while projecting a sporty image that is much more assertive than before. A new version, the 2.0T FSI, will be sold with Audi's S-Line exterior package already installed. This includes a different front bumper, radiator grille, rear spoiler, door sill trims and S-Line badges on the outside. The package gives the already sporty A4 a more hunched stance and more interesting details. The interior looks familiar, with the same wrap-around cabin design. The dashboard is raised a tad for better knee room at the front. But rear leg room stays about the same - a reminder that the A4 is still a compact saloon. Materials such as leather, wood and aluminium trim have been upgraded to put them on a par with the A6. The new Sport front seats are standard for the 2.0T model. They are contoured especially for Asian motorists and offer better support than the standard Comfort seats in the base model 1.8T. The driving feel of the A4 remains almost the same, but with better performance and more refinement than the previous model, which was already excellent in this area. The 200bhp 2.0T model accelerates to 100km/h in 7.3 seconds. That is comparable with the previous three-litre V6. Power delivery is smooth and linear, and acceleration is strong across the board. It is easy to forget to change up when manually shifting the Multitronic CVT gearbox, even at the redline. The paddle shifts behind the steering wheel are a joy to use. Though Audi's CVT gearbox is probably the best in the business, it is tempting to pull the paddles to select the predetermined gear ratios for sporty driving. Handling is excellent and the steering is precise. The suspension has been revised from the previous set-up, resulting in a more direct feel and better all-round refinement. The lowdown Engine The all new 2.0T FSI engine is the first in the world to combine turbocharger and direct fuel-injection technologies. The turbocharger is surprisingly close to the exhaust manifold, but this is to take advantage of exhaust gases at their most pressurised stage, resulting in a bigger boost. The engine is equipped with two-stage intercoolers, two-stage variable intake manifold, and balancer shafts for excellent smoothness. Audi ditched the usual five-valve cylinder head design for a conventional four-valve unit because of the space required for direct injection. Instead of injecting fuel to mix with air before entering the combustion chambers, FSI pressurises fuel from 40 to 110 bars and forces it directly into the combustion chambers. This extremely fine atomisation ensures optimised fuel/air mixture at all times. Another benefit is that it better cools the combustion chambers to avoid engine knocking. And the compression ratio is at a high 11.5:1 for improved engine efficiency. Competing cars BMW 3 Series ($400,000 - $499,000) No car in this category can match the sportiness of the 3 Series. The recently revamped model is handsome, to say the least. But its greatest virtue lies under the bonnet - its six-cylinder alloy engine. Mercedes-Benz C-Class ($328,500 - $520,000) The C-Class is the longest-serving model in this bunch, but it is by no means outdated. It will always be the benchmark for overall refinement, ride quality and value, although it loses out in handling precision. Jaguar S-Type ($488,000 - $588,000) The unmistakably British S-Type is a satisfying driver's machine. Jaguar's first venture into a segment that was traditionally occupied by Mercedes and BMW offers excellent performance and handling. Specifications Engine: two-litre turbocharged four-cylinder, four valves per cylinder Power: 200bhp @ 5,100-6,000rpm Torque: 280Nm @ 1,800-5,000rpm Transmission: seven-speed multitronic continuously variable transmission Acceleration: 0-100km/h in 7.3 seconds Top speed: 235km/h