Audi A4 1.8T: Now Also With 190 bhp

A new, especially powerful version of the 1.8-litre turbo engine is to appear in the Audi A4. With 140 kW (190 bhp) and a torque of 240 Newton-metres, this power unit takes on the role of the top athlete in the range’s four-cylinder models. A time of only 8.2 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h and a top speed of 236 km/h (A4 Saloon with front-wheel drive) particularly underscore this role. The new model is the first 1.8T version to be fitted with a 6-speed gearbox as standard.

The 190 bhp engine is the product of one of the most successful Audi engine series. The various 1.8T versions have impressed time and again ever since their debut in 1994 through output and refinement, spontaneous response and hefty pulling power.

The 140 kW version – available for the A4 Saloon and also the A4 Avant – has been considerably updated. quattro GmbH, already responsible for the incredibly powerful turbo engines in the Audi RS4 and RS6 models, has installed a second intercooler, modified the turbocharger and made fundamental changes to the engine electronics. Emblems with the characteristic red “T” on the engine cover and at the rear of the vehicle point to what is currently the most powerful turbo engine in the A4.

Power is transferred to the road through either front-wheel drive or quattro permanent four-wheel drive. A 6-speed manual gearbox with closely spaced ratios and short shifts is responsible for transmitting power.

Changing gear with this gearbox is enjoyable but is not a necessity, however, for dynamic driving. The 190 bhp version of the A4 1.8T can also be accelerated extremely quickly without frequent gearshifts. The maximum torque of 240 Nm is available over a wide engine speed plateau from 1,950 to 5,500 rpm. The engine delivers the maximum output of 140 kW (190 bhp) at 5,700 rpm.

Somewhat surprising given these performance figures is the car’s modesty when it comes to fuel consumption: the A4 1.8T Saloon with front-wheel drive consumes an average of just 8.6 litres of Super Plus petrol over 100 kilometres (overall according to EC).

The qualities of the engine are suitable not only for long motorway stretches at high average speeds. The wide engine-speed range and the hefty pulling power that is characteristic of a turbo engine, coupled with distinctive free-revving, give what is currently the second most powerful representative of the A4 model line its special dynamism.

Together with the highly advanced suspension, the new 1.8T in the A4 provides pure driving pleasure – both with front-wheel as well as quattro permanent four-wheel drive. The lightweight, aluminium, independent suspension that has been unanimously praised by both the press and industry alike provides exemplary road behaviour due to its low unsprung weight.

Agility, high steering precision and exact handling complement the first-class suspension comfort and combine with the engine’s potential to create a distinctly, sporty overall character.

The A4 1.8T 140 kW will go on sale at the start of November, with prices starting at € 28,600 (Saloon/front-wheel drive).