This A4 'Quick Lift' Is Well And Good, But When is the New A4 Coming, Audi India?

• The new A4 will be available only with a 1.4-litre petrol engine.
• Prices have been increased by under a lakh for the facelifted vehicles.
• The top-spec Technology trim will now get Auto Park Assist as standard.
• 2020 Audi A4 likely to be launched late next year.

It is hardly long-in-the-tooth, but Audi has decided to give the A4 sedan a mild refresh for India. No, this isn’t the 2020 model, which is on sale in markets abroad, but the facelifted 2018 model. It will now be available only with the 1.4-litre TFSI petrol engine and will come with a slightly redesigned front and rear fascia, new bumpers and headlamps, and Auto Park Assist as standard on the top-spec Technology trim. Ex-showroom prices for the new car come in at Rs 42 lakh for the Premium Plus trim (Rs 51,000 more than before), and Rs 45.55 lakh for the Technology trim (Rs 48,000 more). The A4 competes with European rivals such as the BMW 3-series, Jaguar XE, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and the Volvo S60. Audi plans to introduce the 2020 A4 in India next year, along with eight other new cars.

Pan-India ex-showroom prices for the Audi A4:

While the 2020 A4 gets up to six engine options in some markets, the newly launched A4 Quick Lift for India will only come with one: a turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol engine capable of 152PS of power and 250Nm of torque. Features include redesigned front and rear bumpers and new all-weather LED headlights. In addition, the automated parking feature called Auto Park Assist will now be standard equipment on the Technology trim level. The QL Premium Plus in 35 TFSI guise is Rs 51,000 more expensive than the 30 TFSI entry-level A4, while the QL Technology is Rs 48,000 more expensive than its diesel counterpart.  

The B9 Audi A4 was launched in India in 2016 and has continued unchanged since then. It is built on the Volkswagen Group B platform, which is more commonly known as the MLB. The sedan has always had its sights set on the BMW 3-series and Mercedes C-Class, but competition has grown in the segment with the introduction of the Jaguar XE and the Volvo S60. While the 2020 model will be the change the A4 needs, is the Quick Lift enough for now?