Audi is all set to come out with a much efficient version of the Audi A4 sedan, which is one of the bread-and-butter offerings for the German company in the United States. The 2017 Audi A4 Ultra will be focusing heavily on fuel economy as it does in European markets.
The standard EPA ratings for the current generation Audi A4 are at 25 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway. The upcoming 2017 Audi A4 Ultra gives a major boost to these figures by offering 27 mpg in the city and 37 mpg in the highway.
While the Ultra versions of the A6 sedans in the European markets have several fuel saving measures, the 2017 Audi A4 Ultra largely achieves the improved fuel economy by courtesy of having a less powerful engine. The standard models of the Audi A4 have the same 2.0-liter TFSI engine but the powertrain in the 2017 Audi A4 Ultra makes just 190 bhp and 236 lb-ft of torque. These are significantly down compared with the standard variants that develop 252 bhp and 273 lb-ft of torque. Compression ratio has also gone up significantly from 9.6:1 to a whopping 11.7:1.
Aside from offering better fuel economy, the 2017 Audi A4 Ultra is also made attractive by virtue of a lower price. Starting prices of the 2017 Audi A4 Ultra are at $35,850 while the Premium Plus models are priced at $39,650. It represents a $3000 reduction compared to the standard variants of the Audi A4. Even though the vehicles are available at a lower price, the higher end variants of the 2017 Audi A4 Ultra do not skimp on features. Aspects like panoramic sunroof, Audi pre-sense safety systems and LED ambient lighting in the interiors are available as standard.
One of the downsides of having a less powerful engine is a slower 0 to 60 mph time for this new model. The standard variant of the Audi A4 manages to reach 60 mph in just 6.1 seconds, while the 2017 Audi A4 Ultra takes 7.1 seconds for the same. Low power coupled with only front wheel drive on these new variants contribute to less performance figures. However, Audi has given the Audi A4 lineup a major boost – especially in terms of fuel economy – when comparison with the likes of the BMW 320i (23/35 mpg), Lexus IS 200t (22/33 mpg), and Mercedes-Benz C300 (25/34 mpg).