Vehicle: 2006 Audi A4 2.0T Multitronic sedan with convenience pkg, 17″ 5-spoke case alloy wheels with all-season tires, sunroof, rear side airbags and ski sack
Price as tested: CDN$43090

Performance: This 2.0 liter turbocharged 20-valver with direct fuel injection is a combination of efficiency and performance. With 200hp and 207 lb/ft of torque, the performance is nothing less than spectcular for a small displacement forced induction engine. Its also wonderfully refined, smooth and flexible in nature. Its completely free of turbo lag that is usually associate with the outgoing 1.8T motor. However, its not without drawback. The mid-range throttle tip-in feels somewhat slow due to its 4-cylinder nature. The most impressive improvement has to be the 7-speed Multitronic CVT gearbox that matched with this engine seamlessly. Its not only it up and downshifts are a very responsive speed in manual mode, its at a lightning-quick speed during “sport” mode when driving in auto side. Thanks to the excellent gearing, the engine revs only at 2000 rpm @ 120 km/h @ 7th gear which is simply astonising for a 4 banger.

Handling: After the adaptation of S4 front suspensions and A6 rear suspensions, B7′s handling dynamics are even more impressive than B6 does. The steering is sharp, precise and responsive with the right amount of weight at all speeds. The whole car feels very balanced and natural when pushed hard into corners, it feels like a FR than a FF. While you can still detect some little understeer, the amount of oversteer really make the driver feels its a rear-driver than a front-driver. The 8th generation ESP only kicks-in necessarily when driven aggressively. Its threshold is so high that it encourages enthuisastic driving. In terms of ride comfort, it absorbs every bumps and rough nuts smoothly without feeling bouncy. Its soft enough to occupy the passengers while firm enough for enthuisastic driver.

Brakes: With enlarged brake rotors and discs, matched with standard ABS and EBD. The B7 provides excellent pedal feel and modulation. The stopping distance is short and fade-free. The electronic braking force distribution also distributes the forces evenly between front and rear.

Interior: Although the interior styling remains similar to B6 does, there is one biggest improvement. Audi has relocated the cupholders behind the handbrake instead of on the center console after customers complained in the previous 2 iterations of A4s. The use of materials and build quality remain top-notch all around the cabin. Everything from great set of leather seats to logical instrumentation gauges remain intact in the B7.

Conclusion: The waterfall grille is just one of the changes from B6 to B7. Along with a better chassis, better suspension, better engine and transmission; Audi has made a great car even better.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2006 AUDI A4 2.0T MULTITRONIC SEDAN
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Performance: 5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 5/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4/5
Value-for-money: 5/5

Overall rating: 5/5