Audi A4 S Line Quattro

It’s tough at the top. The A4 has always trodden a careful path compared to BMW and Mercedes, but the new Jaguar XE has really shaken up the compact exec class. Audi’s concentrated on producing the car with the best interior, and its tactic has worked. The top-of-the-range A4 offers stunning performance, but keen drivers should still be swayed by the A4’s main rivals.

With the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class offering opposing character traits in the compact executive class for decades, Audi’s A4 has always struck a cautious path between them. 

Audi is making a big thing of connectivity now being more important than ride and handling. This is where it’s pitched the A4; in its mind, this is the techy model in the class. 

All versions have a good-looking screen with MMI multimedia system and smartphone interface – the latter supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Using the options list, the basic equipment can be upgraded to a vast range of larger screens, Internet-based apps and services, and also Audi’s clever Virtual Cockpit, which debuted on the TT.

Up to now, we’ve only driven the A4s that are expected to take the lion’s share of sales across Europe – the 2.0-litre diesels. But for our first test in the UK, we slipped behind the wheel of the most potent model. 

Until the arrival of the S4 early next year, the 3.0 TDI S line quattro is the most powerful car. Its V6 packs 268bhp and 600Nm of torque (there’s also a 215bhp version with front or four-wheel drive), and while those numbers don’t sound very spectacular, the real-life performance is. The 0-62mph sprint takes 5.3 seconds, and the standard auto fires seamlessly through its eight gears.

With the torque kicking in at only 1,500rpm, acceleration is very rapid – a sensation that’s heightened by the A4 being such a refined package. For this new model, Audi has tweaked the previous 3.0-litre V6. Economy has risen to 54.3mpg, while CO2 emissions are a claimed 137g/km.

While it’s impressive in a straight line, come to a corner and the TDI’s initial positive impression falls down a little. Turn the car into an apex, and while the chassis feels agile and flatters the A4, the steering doesn’t. It’s accurate but pretty much lacking in feel – and even when Dynamic is chosen on the Drive Select system, it only serves to add weight and exacerbate the numb feeling.

The Jaguar is leaps and bounds ahead of the A4 here, feeling tighter on turn-in and offering steering that brims with feedback. But Audi would point to the four-wheel drive giving extra traction through twisty corners, compared to the XE’s rear-wheel-drive set-up. The quattro system does give bucket-loads of reassuring grip, particularly in damp conditions – something that only the BMW 330d xDrive can come close to.