There’s an all-new BMW 3 Series out, which means it’s no real surprise that Audi went back and redrew some parts of the new 2020 Audi A4. The last time the car was redesigned it got notched headlights, which was a big departure for the car at the time. The 2020 car gets rid of those, and now it just looks like the 2013 car again.
So far, there are only details on the European redesign of the A4, S4, Avant and Allroad from Audi, but the cosmetics should pretty much carry over for the American car, too. Complaining about the looks being boring is, well, boring at this point, as we’ve been moping about it for a few years now.
Here’s the 2013 car:
Then the 2016 car:
Now the 2020 car:
The new car goes back to a notchless shape like its 2013 predecessor, but incorporates a vertical-striped LED treatment reminiscent of the Audi E-Tron GT concept car. It’s probably the most obvious thing to tell the car apart. The taillights also take on an updated look similar to the A6.
The defining shoulder line running down the length of the car now also dissolves into the doors before reemerging over the rear fenders, which is a weird choice considering it makes the new A4 seem severely slab-sided.
The inside look has also been tweaked, with the most notable change being an update to Audi’s new MMI infotainment system that swaps out the old rotary knob in front of the arm rest for a central touchscreen only, with seemingly little physically-separate inputs available beyond the steering wheel controls.
Looking at the dashboard, it’s kind of amazing that automakers are still letting Mazda get away with having both a more visually striking and intuitively laid-out interior in the new Mazda 3. But I have yet to try this new Audi system, nor have I sat in the car, so maybe, just maybe, it could possibly surprise me.
As for powertrain, the European car will go on sale with six turbocharged engine options, including both gas and diesel, with three of those available to pair with a 12-volt mild-hybrid system, though it’s not yet clear what America will be getting.
As Car And Driver reports, an Audi spokesperson confirmed to them that similar changes will be coming to the U.S. A4 later this year. We’ll have to wait for more updated details until then.
