The new Audi A4 will be offered with traditional petrol and diesel engines, plus plug-in hybrid power, but no pure EV drivetrain.
The new Audi A4 is due in 2023 but it won’t be offered as a fully electric car from launch, as was expected from previous conversations. Audi’s compact executive model is beginning to look dated and the update will bring it up to speed with the newer Mercedes C-Class and BMW 3 Series.
The option exists to introduce a fully electric A4 towards the end of the new model’s estimated 10-year life. When Automotive Daily asked about the possibility, Audi’s head of technical development, Oliver Hoffman said: “We are really happy to have a strong partnership within the [Volkswagen] Group… We have the power to develop and produce dedicated platforms for most technologies.
“We’ve looked at a platform where we can have both powertrains but it’s a compromise. So I’m really happy that we are able and we have the power to do both.”
Despite Audi’s commitment to becoming an all-electric manufacturer by 2030, the new A4 will come with a choice of more powerful yet smaller petrol and diesel engines with mild-hybrid assistance. A plug-in hybrid model will also be available, using the 14.4kWh battery already found in the plug-in Audi Q5 to achieve around 100km of zero-emissions driving.
As you can see from our exclusive render above, the new A4 will look much sleeker than the outgoing model, with slimmer headlights and a larger version of Audi’s distinct hexagonal grille. On the inside, the A4 will have very few physical buttons.
Despite a styling overhaul, the new car will sit on the same platform as the previous model, as well as some other Volkswagen Group cars. The suspension will receive some tweaks in the form of active anti-roll bars to improve handling.
Tom Jervis