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2021 Audi A4 45 TFSI S-line Avant review

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Sam JeremicThe West Australian
Audi A4 Avant.
Camera IconAudi A4 Avant. Credit: Supplied

We all know SUVs have been taking over Australian roads for a number of years now, largely at the expense of medium and large cars.

However, luxury car buyers can be a stubborn lot: generally belonging to an older demographic, they know the car they want — and often times, have wanted for many years — and it often isn’t a soft-roader.

So vehicles such as the A4 remain big business for premium brands. If you include its swoopy-roofed A5 twin, the long-running medium car is Audi’s third-biggest seller in 2021, with more sales than trendier fare such as the Q2 and Q7 SUVs.

Its wagon variant — which Audi calls an Avant, in keeping with the unwritten rule for European car makers to create grandiose names for their wagons — would only make up a fraction of those sales, something of a niche within a niche. But if you’re drawn to this type of vehicle, you may as well spend the extra $2500 for the extra space; the only way you could feel more European in a car would be if the A4 Avant was available in a diesel with a manual transmission.

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Audi A4 Avant.
Camera IconAudi A4 Avant. Credit: Supplied

On paper, the cargo area seems stingy: 495 litres, which is below many SUVs and only 35 litres more than the A4 sedan.

However, this is only up to the electrically retractable cargo blind, which can be retracted to offer far more loading room.

Fold the 40/20/40 rear seats and you have up to 1495 litres.

Now we’re talking.

Although not classed as a performance variant — the S4 and RS4 Avants are available with serious kick, but also ask for six figures — the 45 TFSI wagon is certainly brisk off the mark.

And it’s not just quick, but silky in its acceleration. There are no guttural engine roars or shotgun exhaust blasts, but its 183kW is more than enough to get moving in a hurry.

Once you hit corners, you’re reminded how much better cars handle than SUVs.

The Avant is effortlessly composed in the twisty stuff, aided by all-wheel-drive.

It’s always comfortable despite the 19-inch wheels sometimes offering a bit too much feedback when driving sedately.

Audi A4 Avant.
Camera IconAudi A4 Avant. Credit: Supplied

Rear foot space is moderately tight and not aided by the transmission tunnel, but legroom and headroom in the second row is fine for adults.

On top of the slick drive experience and cabin space, there are a number of luxury features which make the 45 TFSi feel worth its asking price: tri-zone climate control, wireless phone charging, Audi’s impressive Virtual cockpit driver display, leather appointed upholstery, ambient lighting, electric hands-free tailgate and more.

But it doesn’t have everything a $70k-plus-on roads car should have.

Audi asks a hefty $1990 for metallic paint, while our test car also had a $3770 Assistance Plus package offering some features which should already be included, such as adaptive cruise control and lane assist.

Audi A4 Avant.
Camera IconAudi A4 Avant. Credit: Supplied

Annoyingly, not everything worked to plan. With the odd exception, we would have to re-pair our phone each time we started the car — which could take numerous attempts to be successful and the Bluetooth connection would regularly drop out for no reason, forcing us to once again pair our phone.

Thankfully, by the end of the week the issue seemed to have resolved.

The adaptive cruise control would also regularly be caught daydreaming several km/h below the set speed for no discernible reason. A kick to the throttle would be required to wake it up.

We also noticed both of these issues with a Q7 we had earlier this year.

Audi has also unfortunately done away with its console-mounted infotainment control dial, opting for a touch screen.

VERDICT

The A4 Avant offers practicality and slick performance befitting a premium car and exceeding what you’ll find in most SUVs. Some of the options should be included already, and we’re hoping our tech issues aren’t a common occurrence.

2021 AUDI A4 45 TFSI S-LINE AVANT SPECIFICATIONS

  • Price: $71,400 (as tested $78,701)
  • Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
  • Outputs: 183kW/370Nm
  • Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
  • Fuel economy: 7.3L/100km

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