Tested: 2021 Audi A4 45 Advances a Proven Formula

From Car and Driver

To prove that much can be made of little, chefs have taken to preparing gourmet meals with hotel appliances. A Scotsman named Jimmy Stewart prepared kebabs in a trouser press, and super chef Gordon Ramsey doffed his toque to contraption cuisine when a man on social media recorded himself whipping up a salmon filet, bok choy, and rice vermicelli using an iron and a coffee maker.

Audi's 2021 A4 is yet more proof that, in the right hands, much can be made of little. There aren't big changes for 2021, but the A4 is still a tasty thing. The big news is a 12-volt mild-hybrid system that is now standard on both of the A4's powertrains, and each version of the familiar turbocharged 2.0-liter four makes an additional 13 horsepower. The base 2.0-liter in A4 40 spec now makes 201 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque, and the same 2.0-liter in A4 45 spec like our test car puts out 261 horsepower and 273 pound-feet. Audi quotes the scamper from zero to 60 mph for the 261-hp A4 at 5.2 seconds. Our testing unearthed a soupçon of German modesty as we clocked a 4.8-second dash, three-tenths quicker than the last A4 we tested.

There's more standard equipment for 2021. Front-wheel drive is no longer available; all A4s now have all-wheel drive. Other now-standard equipment includes a sunroof, a heated driver's seat with power adjustments, three-zone climate control, lane-departure warning, and ambient interior lighting. We turned off the ambient lights since even on their lowest setting, they make the cockpit glow like Bomber Command.

Now in the middle of its life cycle, the current A4 received a visual refresh in 2020. Non-sheetmetal bits such as the front and rear bumpers, grille, and lighting elements were all tweaked. The composition holds pat for 2021. A $500 Black Optic package on our test car darkens the otherwise shiny metallic trim around the grille, front bumper intakes, and greenhouse. While Audi's design evolution moves at some scale close to Darwinian, we can't fault deliberate pace when the brand continues to nail its understated luxury ethos.

The restraint continues in the cabin. Interior room measurements are in line with the competition, and seating is comfortable front and back. Drivers with long legs and who are six feet or taller will have to curl around the B-pillar to get in and out. The $500 S-Line interior package is money well spent as it adds a three-spoke, flat-bottom sport steering wheel, leather and Alcantara upholstery, brushed aluminum inlays, and stainless-steel caps for the two pedals. (Audi killed the A4's three-pedal manual option in 2019.)

The sharp-looking head-up display could have come from Stark Industries, the fantastically crisp lighting and layout of the climate-control system deserves a museum plaque, the backlit switchgear feels substantial to the touch. The 10.1-inch infotainment screen that replaced the previous 7.0-inch and 8.3-inch units for 2020 would please the Mandalorian, although we still think it was a mistake to drop the control knob and go touchscreen only.