2019 Audi A4 Facelift Gets Tweaked Looks And Diesel S4
Audi has lifted the veil on the facelifted 2020 A4 family while also announcing the car in sedan, Avant, Allroad, and S4 TFSI, and S4 TDI guises. As spy shots of the 2020 Audi A4 range long promised, the updated car benefits from a series of alterations which differentiate it from the outgoing model. Alterations start with a new singleframe grille which is broader and flatter while there are also now distinctive headlights and a low shoulder line. All 2020 A4 models come equipped with LED headlights but customers can opt for the range-topping ones with Matrix LED technology with fully automatic high beam. Other exterior modifications made to the new A4 models are re-shaped taillights and a different rear bumper design. Buyers will be able to opt between 12 different colors for the car. Moving to the interior, Audi has fitted the new A4 with its latest MMI infotainment system which incorporates a 10.1-inch touch display with acoustic feedback.
The German car manufacturer has also improved the vehicle鈥檚 navigation system to be more user-friendly. Buyers will be offered three different instrument clusters to choose from. Two of these are partially analog while the third is Audi鈥檚 all-digital virtual cockpit plus. When sales commence of the new A4 in Europe, it will be offered in a number of forms, including the A4 35 TFSI with 147 hp. Other models include the A4 45 TDI with 227 hp, the 2.0 TDI with 187 hp, 2.0 TFSI pumping out 241 hp, and 3.0 TDI with 227 hp. Audi has also unveiled the facelifted S4 which, depending on the market, will be sold in both petrol and diesel forms. Powering the S4 and S4 Avant TFSI is a 3.0-liter turbocharged engine with 349 hp and 368.8 lb-ft of torque from 1370 to 4500 rpm. This petrol V6 model can reach 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 4.7 seconds and continue through to a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph). New to the S4 family are the TDI models.
Porsche has somewhat publicly, for months if not years, been examining the possibility of producing an electric version of its top-selling model, the Macan. It turns out that may not have been the whole truth, and what's actually now confirmed is a huge step beyond just another version to satisfy regulators. Porsche announced on Tuesday that the next-generation version of the Macan will only be sold as a fully electric vehicle. The automaker said that the next Macan will be built on the PPE (Premium Platform Electric) architecture being co-developed between Porsche and Audi, which doesn't allow for internal combustion engines. There may be a year or two of overlap while the old model is still being built, as the company ramps up its EV production. Further, Porsche revealed that the electric Macan will use Porsche's 800-volt architecture from the Taycan, Porsche's first fully electric car, allowing this model to potentially charge quicker, perform better, and save weight versus rival 400-volt systems. Porsche has announced that it plans to make all but its sports-car models all-electric, and has said that by 2025 it will make more than half of its fleet鈥攂y volume鈥攅lectrified. That will include electric vehicles as well as hybrids and plug-in hybrids. Porsche sold 256,255 vehicles globally last year and nearly a third of those were Macans. The Taycan is due to arrive in the U.S. Taycan Cross Turismo due maybe a year later. READ MORE: Would a Porsche Taycan Turbo confuse the Mission for sports-car brand's electric car? What鈥檚 also not a done deal yet is how the electric Macan will be positioned within Porsche's lineup鈥攁nd whether the existing generation of the Macan might linger for a little longer around 2021 as production ramps up. Regardless of how that plays out, you can bet it鈥檚 not going to be a sluggish transition.
Replacing a car like the previous-gen Vantage is an incredibly difficult task since that model was universally praised for its drop-dead gorgeous looks but Aston Martin has made it look easy with the breathtaking new Vantage. Everything is new on Aston Martin鈥檚 latest sportscar, from the chassis to the powertrain and from the onboard technology to the clever aero agenda. Power comes as expected from the AMG-sourced twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 that here makes 503 hp and 685 Nm of torque. Paired to it is an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, with Aston Martin hinting at a manual option later on. Aston Martin says they鈥檝e mounted the engine as low and as far back as possible to ensure optimal center-of-gravity and that perfect 50-50 weight distribution. Dry weight is an impressive 1,530 kg. 0-100 km/h comes in 3.6 seconds while top speed is 313 km/h. The chassis is an evolution of the DB11鈥檚 aluminum structure, with Aston Martin claiming that 70 percent of it is new for the Vantage. The rear subframe is now solidly mounted to make the driver feel more connected while the suspension employs double wishbones at the front and a multi-link setup at the rear. The latest generation of active dampers are also present, offering three modes: Sport, Sport Plus and Track. The new Aston Martin Vantage is also the company鈥檚 first model to use an electronic rear differential (E-Diff). Linked to the vehicle鈥檚 electronic stability control system, the new differential adapts its characteristics much more cleverly than a conventional LSD, making the car feel more composed, both on a straight line and while cornering. Aerodynamics was also a key point to the design of the new Vantage; Aston Martin was able to employ all the latest tricks without littering the car鈥檚 curvy bodywork. 149,995 in the US.