Audi S4 S Tronic review

"We almost don't see the point in a new RS4"

What is it?

The Audi S4 is a product of Audi’s performance car ‘right-sizing’ strategy. And while that sounds naff, it means that big, dirty V8s will feature less and less in the company’s products, As for the S4, gone is the woofly V8 of the old car, replaced by a new 333hp supercharged V6.

What’s it like on the outside?

R8 and TT excepted, Audi designs aren’t exactly what you’d call attention seeking. Spare the S4 a casual glance and you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s just another boggo 2.0 TDI being peddled by an early-20s bloke on the ALDI grad scheme. But slip your Audi anorak on, and you’ll spot LED headlamps, quad exhaust pipes, subtle side skirts and – wait for it - silver door mirrors. The S4 really puts the b in subtle, but that’s the point of the car – its looks hint at the performance potential, but it doesn’t look as outlandish as the range-topping RS4 which should arrive in late 2010.

What’s it like on the inside?

The S4’s interior is a similar affair to the exterior. There’s some big, body-hugging sports seats, carbon trim on the centre console and a chunky, sporty steering wheel, but there’s nothing out of the ordinary. But after just a few miles of motoring, the S4’s interior woos you with its mixture of comfort and convenience, from the heated seats which feel like they’re melting your trousers – in a good way – to the MMI system which lets you control the stereo, sat nav and climate control with ease. It all just makes sense.

What’s it like to drive?

The big deal with this S4 is its engine. Gone is the woofly V8, instead replaced by a cleaner, more powerful supercharged 333hp V6. And to be honest, you miss the V8 for about three, maybe four seconds. One prod of the accelerator leads to instant response from the supercharger, a flat metallic grrrr from the engine and you shoot down the road at some serious pace. Audi has matched the naturally aspirated linear swell of torque you got from the V8 by tuning the V6 to offer 90% of its torque at just 2,200rpm. Overtaking is child’s play.

The engine is only part of the package too. My car had the S Tronic DSG gearbox, which keeps power surging to all four wheels almost seamlessly, and the optional Sport differential, which sends more torque to the outer rear wheel when cornering to keep the nose tucked in. It all works so well, inspiring confidence yet feeling seriously sporty as it feels like one of the most rear-biased Audi saloons the firm has ever made.

And when you’re just tooling around town, the S4 is as benign and relaxing as a normal A4, especially if you opt for the adjustable dampers which give you a firm but comfortable ride. The steering is accurate too, although it does feel a touch artificial.

Verdict

The Audi S4 with S Tronic costs £36,825. But the problem the S4 has is that all the stuff that makes this car a really good one is on the options list. So once you spec the adaptive dampers, decent stereo, proper sat nav and so on, the price gets too near the awesome and more involving £50 grand BMW M3. But on the other hand, the S4 is so competent that if only it sounded more exciting, we almost don’t see the point in a new RS4.

By Tom Phillips