2009 Audi S4: A true sleeper

A “sleeper” is a very powerful car that does not flaunt its superiority.  An iron hand in a velvet glove, if you will.
The Audi A4 has not been available in North America for very long at all and the S4 has already reared its head.  For those of you who do not know, Audi’s “S” models are a little like the “M” versions from BMW or the AMG from Mercedes-Benz.  In other words, the S4 is like a sportier A4, and the A4 was pretty sporty to begin with…

What an engine!

First and foremost, the S4 is all about the engine: a 3.0-litre direct fuel injection supercharged V6 with a 333 -horsepower and 325 pounds-foot of torque.  The previous generation of the S4 was equipped with a 4.2-litre V6 featuring 15 more horses but 23 lbs-ft less of torque, proof positive of the fact that today’s engines have reached a never-before-seen level of refinement.  Although the V6 is less powerful, it propels the S4 from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.1 seconds (manufacturer’s numbers), at least a half-second faster than before.  Moreover, thanks to the lighter weight V6, the S4 offers excellent balance and the weight is distributed 50/50 if you opt for the Sport differential…but we will come back to that.

The power of this 3.0-litre V6 is very direct and it never runs out of steam, even when taken near the red line.  Its sound is definitely easy on the ears but a little less insulation would have been nice and would have made the car a little lighter.  Note that at 1,650 kilos, it is hardly obese.  Moreover, it demonstrates good fuel economy at 9.7 litres/100 km on the road, according to Audi.  In our short time on the roads of the island of Mallorca (Spain), we recorded 10.9 with a new car (a “flambette”, as we say in the Estrie).  Two transmissions, a six-speed standard and a seven-speed automatic sequential, are offered.  The first handles like a dream: the gears are just the right length for a sporty ride and it is easy employ the heel and toe technique.  However, the S-tronic automatic proves to be the better choice.  This double-clutch sequential transmission shifts from gear to gear with surprising quickness and is as comfortable on the road as it is on the track. By the way, the sound of the exhaust when the gears are at high revs is beautiful. Finally, Quattro all-wheel drive is used.

Sport Differential

The S4 is most appealing when equipped with the optional rear differential, blandly called Sport Differential.  It takes several things into consideration (tire rotation speed, angle of the steering wheel and of the accelerator, and pitching movements) to ensure maximum traction, and it should come factory standard if you ask me.  Paired with the Quattro, it ensures a torque distribution of up to 40% to the front and 60% to the back.  The Sport Differential is linked to the central control unit on the dashboard.  In “Comfort” mode, the ride is comfortable!  At the other extreme there is “Dynamic” mode, and in between the two, there is “auto” mode adjusting the settings depending on the conditions. There is also an “Individual” mode that allows you to select certain features over others and is solely for those who know both the car and the road like the back of their hand.

We had the chance to drive an S4 S-tronic on the track…for about five minutes.  It was raining, so there was no chance of testing out its lightning speed.  What is good about a wet track is that a car’s limitations become more obvious.  Thus, I was able to determine that the new S4 understeers, which is more and more desirable for manufacturers as an understeer is a lot easier to control for the average driver than an oversteer would be.  I did only four laps, so I did not turn off the electronic traction control or the electronic lateral stability systems, which act decisively but still allow the car to slide quite a bit before intervening.  In the last lap, I selected the “Comfort” mode instead of the “Dynamic” mode, and the difference was noticeable.  The S4’s engine was not as quick, the steering was slower, and the shocks become less firm.  On the track, the “Dynamic” mode is a given, but on the road, especially in Québec, “Comfort” mode is recommended.

S is for sleeper?

As for aesthetics, the S4 looks an awful lot like an A4 with a slightly lower suspension and with two extra exhaust tips.  Furthermore, if there were not so many S4 symbols here and there on the body and in the passenger compartment, it is unlikely that many people would be able to tell the difference.  Inside the S4, it feels like an A4.  The suspensions are a smidge more firm and the steering is a little livelier, but the biggest difference is the sportier seats.  The speedometer maxes out at 300 km/h (the top speed is 250 km/h according to Audi) while the A4’s speedometer only goes up to 280.

Although the S4’s pricing has yet to be made public, a little birdie told me to expect to pay about the same amount as for the previous S4 ($60,000-$70,000). The base price in Euros has already been announced as 50,950.  For the next several months to a year, only the sedan will be imported, but Audi Canada is working overtime to get us the S4 Avant wagon. Let’s at least allow the regular model to arrive before asking for the convertible!  And the RS4?  A German engineer, without a doubt a little too enthusiastic for his bosses’ tastes, has told us that they are already working on it!