2017 Audi A4 2.0T Quattro

• BY TONY QUIROGA 
• PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSICA LYNN WALKER (caranddriver)

Silence is golden, especially in an election year. But in a sports sedan, silence can be eerie. Absent the sound of hot air ripping through an exhaust, can you really be sure you’re in a car that performs?

In the case of the 2017 Audi A4 2.0T Quattro, the sound-level meter confirms its soft-spoken nature. At a steady 70 mph, the A4 puts out a mere 63 decibels. That’s less noise than you’ll get in an S-class, Audi’s own A8, and the sensory-deprivation tank also known as the Lexus LS600hL. A Rolls-Royce Phantom is quieter, but only by one decibel. Point the A4 down a highway and all you hear is a light ruffling of wind—and watch your speed, the A4 is barely louder at 100 mph.

Some of the credit for the silence has to go to the new A4’s low, 0.27 drag coefficient. But it isn’t just the wind that barely notices the new sheetmetal; people’s gazes will slip right off it as well. The design, a modest evolution of the old A4, isn’t exactly eye-catching. But that doesn’t mean there’s a bad line on the car. Indeed, there is a great line, a crease that runs along the side and into the shut-line of the clamshell hood. At the tail end, Audi has finally figured out how to get its thin band of sweeping LED turn signals past U.S. regulators.

Under that thick veil of conservatism and refinement, however, is indeed a sports sedan. Rev it up, and the turbocharged inline-four’s bark pierces the calm. The four-cylinder is a variation of the engine that powered the previous A4, iron block and all, but enhancements to the head and turbocharger bring output to 252 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 273 pound-feet of torque at 1600 rpm, up from 220 horses and 258 pound-feet. Snarly yet smooth, the four is free of lag and delivers a strong pull from idle to redline.

At a glance, you could mistake the new A4 for the old one. But there are upgrades throughout, such as the reconfigurable instrument screen, natty interior, and quick-shifting dual-clutch automatic.

Connected to the engine is a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic that replaces a conventional eight-speed automatic. A six-speed manual will be available in early 2017. Audi informs us that it did extensive work to get the dual-clutch to match the feel of a torque-converter automatic when accelerating from a rest. It engages easily, smoothly, and predictably from a stop or a slow roll, although the transmission shares the old ’box’s predilection to shift to the highest gear possible to boost mileage.

The big benefits to the dual-clutch, from our perspective, are its instantaneous shifts and launch control. To engage the latter, select the transmission’s sport mode in drive, put stability control into sport mode, and simultaneously hold the brake and accelerator to the floor. Engine revs rise then settle at 3000 rpm, at which point you can release the brake. Four-wheel drive ensures a spin-free getaway, and the 3671-pound A4 hits 60 mph in 5.2 seconds, 0.4 second quicker than its predecessor and the same time as the latest rear-drive BMW 328i. Stay on it and the quarter-mile passes in 13.9 ­seconds at 100 mph. Despite the Y-rated Hankook summer tires, a no-cost option, U.S.-market A4s are governed to 130 mph.

More-important numbers to Americans will be the EPA’s fuel-economy estimates. The A4 Quattro returns 24 mpg in city and 31 in highway tests, which works out to 27 mpg combined. That’s a 3-mpg improvement in the city and 1 mpg better on the highway versus the outgoing A4 2.0T. In our hands, the car managed 22 mpg overall in a mix of highway driving and stop-and-go traffic, and after attacking Angeles Crest and Angeles Forest highways as if they were Group B rally stages.

As with every Audi sedan, the A4 has the majority of its weight over its front wheels, a product of four-wheel drive and of perching the engine ahead of the front-axle line. The Quattro four-wheel-drive system is set up to send 40 percent of the torque to the front and the remainder rearward, but the system constantly adjusts the split, front to rear. Grip from the Hankooks is good, at 0.90 g, and it’s very usable and secure grip, but the A4 works its front tires harder and they give up sooner than those of the 3-series. To combat understeer, the A4 pulses its inside brakes to pull the car into the corner. But it’s not enough to impart the sensation that the rear wheels are fully ­running the show.

Our nearly loaded test car came equipped with the adaptive damping suspension ($1000) that lowers the ride height by 0.4 inch versus the base setting and adds electronically adjustable dampers with three modes: comfort, auto, and dynamic. A $750 Sport package adds a firmer suspension that drops the car 0.9 inch, but it can’t be paired with the adjustable shocks. With adaptive damping, the shocks will auto­mati­cally change stiffness on their own or at the driver’s command. In comfort mode, the ride wallows slightly before it tightens; auto is exactly right; and dynamic starts taut and only gets tauter.

The electrically assisted power steering is also adjustable, from 1970s American-car light to modern German light to just right. In auto and comfort modes, the steering’s lack of heft imparts a slight sloppiness when the car is tracking straight ahead. Dialing up the effort by selecting sport helps eliminate some of the vagueness. Under cornering stress, the steering wakes up considerably and begins to approach the clear and lively feedback of Cadillac’s ATS and CTS.The brakes neither have nor need any adjustments. Audi fits every U.S.-bound A4 with four-piston front calipers, and the brake feel is superb. The pedal reacts precisely and with the right amount of bite. Hard stops from 70 mph take a Porsche-like 155 feet.

Though excellent brakes are standard on U.S. A4s, the extensive technology on our car adds a lot of ducats to the bottom line. Base versions—Premium in Audi-Sprache—start at $38,250, and four-wheel drive adds $2100. Standard equipment includes a sunroof, a rearview camera, leather seats, xenon headlights, power front seats, an auto-dimming mirror, 17-inch wheels, and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Selecting the Premium Plus trim level adds $3800 and LED headlights, 18-inch wheels, a 755-watt 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system, an anti-theft alarm, heated seats with memory, and the expensive-looking S-line body kit.

Our nearly loaded Prestige-package car, a $4800 jump over the Premium Plus model, brings a head-up display, a digital gauge cluster, and the Technology package that includes navigation, a larger center screen, blind-spot monitoring, and rear-end-collision warning. Thus, $54,275 for the test car, which also features heat to the rear seats and steering wheel, cooled front sport seats, the electronically adjustable suspension, and the $1800 Driver Assistance package that gives the A4 the ability to briefly drive itself. If you’re the type who’ll never use it, save the money. An A4 without the self-driving function, the head-up display, and a few other features such as heated rear seats can be had for $47,750.

Since the A4 we tested had the ability to deal with stop-and-go traffic like an autono­mous car, we felt obliged to turn on the cruise control and use it. In traffic-snarled Los Angeles, the self-driving function worked safely and without any hiccups. Set the cruise on a back road and the car will automatically slow for sharp curves using GPS and map data. As equipped, there’s more tech in the new A4 than in a six-figure A8. It’s daunting at first, but you can just ignore it, not purchase it in the first place, or shut it all off. You may also choose to give up your last shred of independence and let the car drive itself.

It’s more difficult to ignore the 12.3-inch LCD screen right behind the perfectly sculpted three-spoke steering wheel. Introduced on the TT, and now also on the Q7 and the R8, the display can be configured with either full-size or small gauges and the background can show a detailed Google map or trip information. Even in direct sunlight, the display remains as ­legible and crisp as actual gauges. The rest of the in­teri­or is just as good, even when rendered in boring black. The A4 doesn’t try too hard; its luxury is born of expensive plastics, real aluminum, artfully sculpted shapes, and switchgear that looks great and clicks ­satisfyingly in your hands. It’s a soothing interi­or, too, from the shifter that doubles as a hand rest to the supportive sport seats.

In the final analysis, Audi’s new A4 is a class leader in refinement, technology, and interior design. Its chassis dynamics and exterior haven’t made as big a leap, but the car remains an adept, if secure, handler wrapped in an elegant four-door envelope. It doesn’t make much noise about it, but the A4 possesses a quiet competence that is as wonderful as it is easily misunderstood.

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2017 Subaru BRZ Updated: Easier, BRZ-ier, Better-Looking

• BY JOSEPH CAPPARELLA (caranddriver)

After rolling out several minor updates for its BRZ sports coupe over the past few years, Subaru is making changes for the 2017 model that might be substantive enough to convince current owners to upgrade—or pull buyers who are on the fence into the fold. As previewed by the updates made to its Toyota 86 twin(previously known as the Scion FR-S), the 2017 BRZ gets more power, revised suspension tuning, a few visual changes, and a newly available Performance package.

The BRZ’s 2.0-liter flat-four has less internal friction and increased airflow, resulting in a small uptick in output of 5 horsepower and 5 lb-ft of torque, for new totals of 205 and 156. Aided by slightly shorter gearing, acceleration is claimed to be improved—at least with the standard six-speed manual gearbox. Neither the higher output nor the different gearing applies to cars with the optional six-speed automatic transmission, but buyers who choose the automatic on this coupe probably won’t mind anyway.

Subaru also applied some tuning changes to the BRZ’s already nicely balanced chassis. The springs and dampers are new, and the rear anti-roll bar is larger than before. Structural rigidity increases thanks to new reinforcements for the strut-tower braces, the transmission crossmember plate, and the rear-wheel housings. The stability-control system also has been revised, with the previous Sport mode permitting more slip angle before intervening, prompting Subaru to rename this mode “Track.”

For the first time, the BRZ will be offered with a Performance package for manual-transmission Limited models. It includes upgrades for those who plan on frequenting track days. Larger front and rear brakes with Brembo calipers promise improved stopping power and greater fade resistance; the package also includes Sachs performance dampers and black-painted 17-inch wheels.

Subtle styling changes include a mildly revised front end with new LED headlights and a reshaped bumper cover, while full-LED taillights and a new rear spoiler dress up all trim levels. New 10-spoke wheels also are on the menu. On the inside, the biggest change is a new 4.2-inch LCD display in the gauge cluster (for Limited models) that can display performance metrics including lateral and braking g’s, steering angle, and lap times. The steering wheel also is new.

Expect pricing for the 2017 BRZ to rise slightly compared with the 2016 model’s $26,190 starting MSRP. We don’t yet know how much the Performance package will cost—or if the Toyota 86 will offer a similar option—but information is likely to become available as we near the updated BRZ’s on-sale date later this year. Before then, we may see some sort of special-edition version of the BRZ, as suggested by a teaser photo of a bright-yellow BRZ’s rear end. We’ll find out what it is soon enough, on June 12, so stay tuned.

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Kia Expands Tech Availability, Adds Automated Braking to 2017 Sorento

by Greg Fink (caranddriver)

Although the sheetmetal may look the same as last year, the Kia Sorento enters 2017 with a handful of new tricks up its sleeve, the most noteworthy being the availability of automatic emergency braking.

Prices are up across the board, with as little as $290 being added to the base price of the Sorento LX V-6 and as much as $4000 tacked onto the base price of the SX Limited—a figure that’s partially the result of the Korean company’s decision to make the previously optional V-6 engine standard. On top of this, all Sorento SX Limiteds, also known as SXL, now come equipped with last year’s Technology package (a $2500 bundle on 2016 models), as well as newly available swiveling headlights and an automatic emergency braking system.

More impressive is the fact that all Sorentos, save for the base L version, can be had with automated emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and forward-collision and lane-departure warning systems. Standard on the SX Limited, these items are bundled into the Advanced Technology package in the Sorento LX and SX, and the Advanced Touring package in the EX. Meanwhile, Kia’s new UVO3 infotainment system makes its way to the mid-size crossover. Unavailable on the L, optional on the LX, and standard on all other trims, UVO3 offersAndroid Auto and Apple CarPlay support.

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First Hyundai N Model to Be Euro-Focused Hot Hatch

by Mike Duff (caranddriver)

It’s more than two years since we first told you about Hyundai’s plans to introduce a range of N-badged performance models, and now we’ve learned that the first one is set to hit the market next year, with a tuned version of the next-generation i30 hatchback.

While the i30N is primarily aimed at Europe, N Division’s boss, Albert Biermann, assures us that two other N-badged models will be introduced shortly afterward, with at least one of these having broader appeal to the U.S.

Although we’ve only seen a prototype version of the i30N and weren’t allowed to take detailed photographs of it, Hyundai entered a prototype fitted with the production car’s powertrain into last weekend’s Nürburgring 24 Hours race (above).

It uses a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine and drives the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox and an electronically controlled limited-slip differential that Hyundai engineered itself. We have not been given any official power output, but we were shown a video of the new engine being dyno tested, which showed numbers peaking at 264 ps (260 horsepower), which we’re betting will be the minimum output. Biermann, who was formerly the head of development for BMW’s Motorsport Division, says he doesn’t want the i30N to be targeting performance numbers or lap times; rather, the focus will be on the driving experience.

“It is not just about the output,” he said, “if you look at the data our car will not look like the winner [compared with rivals], but when you drive it you will feel how serious we are.”

The i30N also gets a new suspension, a higher-capacity cooling system, and structural reinforcement to increase the rigidity of the body shell. Biermann indicated that it’s likely to be sold in both standard and “plus” form, with the more expensive version bringing a limited-slip differential, bigger brakes, and possibly an increase in power. All versions are likely to have switchable active dampers, with Biermann emphasizing that he wants to build a car with what he called “maximum bandwidth.”

Although a manual gearbox will be standard, Biermann also confirmed that Hyundai is developing what he described as a “sporty automatic,” which is almost certainly a dual-clutch gearbox to become available shortly after the car goes on sale.

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Charge Me Up: SAE Developing Wireless Charging Standard for Electric Cars

by Greg Fink | Illustration by Martin Laksman (caranddriver)

Saving the environment can be exhausting, especially if you own an electric vehicle that requires you to physically plug and unplug the charger into and out of the charging port. Fortunately, wireless charging for your electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle is all but certain to become ubiquitous, and the automotive-engineering organization SAE International is currently working on creating a standard for these charging systems.

First presented at the Conference on Electric Roads and Vehicles (CERV) in Logan, Utah, in mid-May, but published today, SAE TIR J2954 lays out this groundwork in the name of consumer safety and convenience. Calling for a common frequency band of 85 kHz (81.39–90.00 kHz), SAE is proposing four classes of wireless power transfer levels that result in slower or faster charge times: 3.7 kW, 7.7 kW, 11.0 kW, and 22.0 kW. The organization notes that additional, quicker power transfer levels may be added in future iterations of the standard.

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Volvo CEO: Hybrids Will Replace Diesels, Even in Europe

by Mike Duff (caranddriver)

Although Europe, like the United States, has been caught up in its own version of Volkswagen’s diesel-emissions scandal, there’s not yet been a corresponding move away from diesel engines on the other side of the Atlantic. That’s set to change with increasingly tough emissions standards and competition from a new generation of high-efficiency gas hybrids. Volvo has been the first to reveal one of these, the new three-cylinder “T5” plug-in that we’ll see in the new XC40 and then throughout the lower and middle reaches of Volvo’s range. And Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson predicts that it (and similar powerplants) will progressively replace diesel engines over the next decade or so. 

“It is a very attractive alternative to a diesel engine,” Samuelsson told journalists in Gothenburg. “It offers much lower CO2 levels but more or less the same performance in both horsepower and torque. On cost, I would say that within a couple of years we will see a crossover, the diesel getting more expensive and the [hybrid system] going down.”

There are no diesel-powered Volvos in the U.S, and there will be progressively fewer in those parts of the world that do still favor them. Although there is no emissions or economy data for the T5 yet, we’re told to expect that the powertrain will emit less than 95g/km in European testing, that number bringing both sizable tax benefits in many countries and also being the official Euro target for fleet-average emissions. Samuelsson says that, more importantly, the T5 will also deliver diesel-like fuel economy in real-world use. So will Volvo still be making diesels in ten years?

“Diesels will be more expensive, they will have much more advanced after-treatment with additional fluids that have to be filled not once a year, but probably every time you refuel the car,” Samuelsson said, “I think that it’s very realistic that the percentage will go down. If it will go down to zero, I think we don’t need to speculate—let the future decide, let customers decide. We are flexible enough that we can make petrol and diesels on the same line, basically.”

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Updated 2017 Lincoln MKZ Priced from $35,935 to $54,485

by Joseph Capparella (caranddriver)

A raft of changes are in store for the Lincoln MKZ, the most enticing of which is a new 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 engine. We now have pricing for Lincoln’s updated sedan, which also gets a new front end and a revised interior for 2017. Surprisingly, the base price is slightly lower than before, down $180 to $35,935. But adding options like the new V-6, all-wheel drive, and other packages can take the new MKZ into a much loftier price bracket, with fully loaded versions topping $60,000. Yikes.

Four trim levels are offered, starting with the Premiere ($35,935), then moving to the Select ($37,685), the Reserve ($40,435), and the Black Label ($48,595). One of two powertrains comes standard: either a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 240 horsepower, or a gas-electric hybrid drivetrain with a net power output of 188 horsepower and an estimated EPA combined rating of 40 mpg. Turbo-four-powered cars offer all-wheel drive as a $1890 option regardless of trim level; MKZ hybrids are front-wheel-drive only.

For those who prefer more grunt, all 2017 MKZ trim levels save the base Premiere offer the aforementioned 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 that pairs with a six-speed automatic. It costs $2750 extra for front-drive models and $4000 extra with all-wheel drive. Frankly, we’re shocked that this engine is being offered with front-wheel drive, seeing as it produces a whopping 400 lb-ft of torque. At least Lincoln detunes the V-6 slightly to 350 horsepower for its front-drive application—AWD models get the full 400 horses.

Lest you worry that the MKZ’s Ford Fusion–based chassis will struggle to handle that kind of power, Lincoln is touting a new Driver’s Package ($2395 on the Black Label, $3395 on the Reserve) for V-6 AWD models that brings some chassis tweaks. It includes a stiffer suspension and the GKN-supplied torque-vectoring system from the Ford Focus RS, along with some restyled visuals such as 19-inch wheels and a slightly different grille. It also requires adding the $595 Multi-Contour front seats.

For less performance-minded 2017 MKZ buyers, a whole host of luxury options are also available. A $2395 Technology Package offered on most trim levels includes all sorts of active-safety tech, a panoramic sunroof is offered for between $1795 and $2995 depending on trim level, and a 20-speaker Revel audio system is part of a $4400 Luxury package for Reserve models and comes standard on Black Label cars.

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