Audi S4 | Second Drive: Its Superb Balance Shines Through

Audi S4 | Audi S4 Test Drive (Part 2)

A Masterclass in Balance

The Audi A4 series forms the core of the brand's lineup. This is a test drive report of its flagship, the "Audi S4/S4 Avant," released on May 11th. In this second part, we get behind the wheel of this new generation of Audi Sport to ascertain its true worth.

Text by Fumio OgawaPhotos by Masayuki Arakawa

Agile and Flawlessly Precise Steering

Indeed, once behind the wheel, the Audi S4 compels you to sum it up in one word: "A superb car!" Settling into the specially designed sports seats with integrated headrests and firing up the engine with the push-start button, the immediate, explosive sound captivates the driver.

It moves off with remarkable lightness, and a gentle press of the accelerator unleashes a ferocious dash. The steering is both agile and flawlessly precise. The current A4, the base model, already boasted steering with a superb feel, but the S4, with its vastly superior performance, becomes a veritable sports car through the synergy with its power. Naturally, the ride comfort remains exceptionally supple.

The S4 employs a dual-clutch S tronic transmission. By using two clutches, one for odd-numbered gears and one for even-numbered gears, it minimizes shift times and eliminates the slight hesitation sometimes associated with automatics using a torque converter. While it operates like an automatic without a clutch pedal, those with some driving experience might find the direct, engaging feel akin to driving a manual transmission quite enjoyable.

Further Blissful Sensation with Audi Drive Select

With 333ps and 60% of the initial driving force directed to the rear wheels, the S4's power is more than adequate. Or so I thought, but experiencing the "Audi drive select" system equipped in this car revealed an even greater sense of bliss awaiting.

Audi drive select is a system that integrates control over engine power, steering power assist, shift timing, damping stiffness, and rear-wheel locking factors. Selecting "Sport" mode results in astonishingly sharper acceleration, significantly enhancing the driving pleasure.

The "Individual" setting within Audi drive select allows for independent adjustment of steering weight, power characteristics, ride comfort, and more, to suit personal preferences. Personalization is a key theme for European luxury cars, and Audi is no exception.

While I've described the S4 as agile and excellent, this may also be attributed to its compact dimensions, with an overall length of 4715mm and a width of 1825mm. Pursuing speed to the point of becoming a monstrous machine would make it impractical for daily use. Audi's excellent sense of balance shines through in this regard.