2015 Audi A4 2.0 TDI Ultra 190 Sport first drive

You've probably noticed some change in the company car park of late. Jaguar's XE is already a fairly common sight on our roads and - even if it's hard to recognise - a facelifted 3 Series will soon be joining it. There's more change afoot, though, because Audi's Audi A4 is not long for the UK, too.

While Audi's premium badge and superb cabins have ensured that the previous A4 sold reasonably well, its dynamics and emissions have always played second fiddle to the BMW. With the XE now with us, the A4 was starting to look even longer in the tooth.

No such issues with the new one. Company accountants will like the fact that the new A4's emissions start at 99g/km and that (official) fuel economy is as good as 74.3mpg, while its completely new MLB-evo chassis, which features five-link independent suspension front and rear, should ensure better ride and handling characteristics. 

It's a bigger car than it was but it’s lighter, too. Overall it’s longer, while front head room and rear leg room are improved. Audi has also worked hard to ensure that refinement is better than ever, claiming that its class-leading drag coefficient helps to keep wind noise down to A8 levels of silence. 

We're yet to try that headline economy figure-wielding 2.0 TDI 150 Ultra, but here we're driving what should still account for a decent proportion of UK sales: the 187bhp version of the same engine. It still features Audi's 'Ultra' technology, so despite its extra performance, it remains good for CO2 emissions as low as 102g/km and thus an 18% BIK rate in entry-level manual form.

We've no complaints with the engine. This 2.0 TDI Ultra unit has already shown what it’s capable of in the A6, and it's no less impressive in this A4. By 1500rpm you begin to feel its pull and by 1750rpm the needle is well on its way, which means you rarely require a downshift to pull out of third and fourth gear. 

It's not adverse to being revved out, either, and is one of the quietest four-cylinder diesels on sale in the upper reaches of its rev band. You're aware of some vibration at the pedals and through the gear lever, but the latter won't be a problem for buyers of the automatic – and there'll be more of those, we'd suspect. The manual 'box’s action itself is far more sophisticated, while at 70mph wind noise is extremely well suppressed - although all our test cars were fitted with optional laminated windows.  

Thanks to some serious weight loss - up to 120kg in some cases - and that new chassis, driving this new A4 is a more rewarding experience than it was before. It certainly feels lighter on its wheels than the old car and more eager to change direction, but let's be clear, those who put handling first should still be heading for a BMW or Jaguar dealer.

The A4's steering remains its biggest frustration. The lack of feedback shouldn't be criticised too heavily (the majority of electronic systems offer very little), and nor should its low-speed lightness, but there just isn't the precision or urgency found in the 3 Series or XE. The A4 rolls further than its rivals when attacking bends, too, but grip levels are high and those more concerned with motorway behaviour might prefer the Audi’s less twitchy high-speed set-up.

Its motorway ride will also please, with bumps and crests being nicely damped and the body never wandering too far vertically. Four suspension set-ups are possible: a Comfort setting, a stiffer and 23mm-lower Sport set-up standard on S line cars, or adaptive versions of both. Confusingly, adaptive Comfort is 10mm lower than standard Comfort, and all Ultra models have the lower Sport chassis for better aerodynamics. Still with us?