For those warming up to the idea of a diesel S model from Audi Sport, the thoroughly updated S4 Saloon together with its S4 Avant sibling have travelled to Bolzano, Italy to show off the revised bodywork. If you can get past the TDI engine, there’s a lot to like about the S models as the mid-cycle refresh has made the entire A4 lineup more modern and sophisticated. Of course, we have yet to see the cherry on top – the RS4 Avant.
Whether it’s the Turbo Blue saloon or the Daytona Grey estate, the S4 models are flaunting their wider front grille design and the “Quattro” nostrils we’ve seen before on the A1 supermini. The design of the all-new headlights is now in line with those of other recent products carrying the Four Rings, which is the same thing we can say about the taillights.
Gallery: 2020 Audi S4 Saloon, S4 Avant in Bolzano, Italy
There is one delicate matter to discuss concerning the rear end of the revised S4 models in Europe as the cars have functional exhausts only on the left side. In one of the attached images showing the saloon, we can clearly observe the ones on the right are purely for décor as the tips are actually blocked off. The S4 is far from being the first model from Audi Sport with a faux exhaust as the trend started a while back with the SQ5.
Inside, the A4/S4 doesn’t have the MMI nicely integrated into the centre console, but the tablet-style touchscreen is now bigger than before, at 10.1 inches, and uses the latest hardware and software. The infotainment is accompanied by an updated 12.3-inch fully digital instrument cluster and a head-up display.
'The videos are also a good opportunity to see how the mild-hybrid 3.0-litre V6 TDI engine with its 342 bhp and 516 lb-ft behaves in an acceleration test. Real-life tests show the saloon needs 4.67 seconds to hit 62 mph whereas the slightly heavier estate completed the task in 4.76 seconds. These numbers are actually slightly better than the official figures quoted by Audi: 4.8s for the saloon and 4.9s for the estate.
As you may recall, the diesel S4s are a European affair as the rest of the world is getting the cars with a 3.0-litre TFSI V6 rated at 349 bhp and 369 lb-ft.
Source: Auditography