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Audi S4: Supercharged Thrills and Thrift in Paris



Combining performance with economy has become the Holy Grail of the motor industry, and this week’s Paris Show will see new variants of the Audi S4 which give equal weighting to thrills and thrift. The S4 and S4 Avant’s new six-cylinder TFSI engine promises increased performance over its V8 predecessor, while simultaneously offering a 30 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions – and 29mpg-plus fuel economy.

The all-new 3.0-litre V6 shares its ‘TFSI’ designation with the six engines in the Audi range that combine single turbocharging with FSI direct injection, but the newcomer bucks the trend by using a compact supercharger. This is intended to deliver a keener response than even twin turbochargers could achieve.

Audi S4: Supercharged Thrills and Thrift in Paris Audi S4: Supercharged Thrills and Thrift in Paris

The V6 unit power unit generates 328bhp and a healthy 440Nm of peak torque available from 2500rpm right through to 4850rpm. This gives the manual S4 saloon a 0-62mph sprint time of just 5.1 seconds; or 5.2 seconds for the Avant. Top speed is limited electronically to 155mph.



Not only is performance enhanced, but the combination of supercharging and direct injection also works very much in favour of fuel economy and emissions. The saloon version of the S4 claims up to 29.1mpg: a 27 per cent improvement over the V8-powered saloon, while emitting 30 per cent less CO2, at just 225g/km.

The new S4 and S4 Avant will be available to order from November 2008, and will cost from around £36,000. They should reach their first UK customers in April 2009.



Text: Charis Whitcombe
Photos: Audi


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