At the 4front

ASK Audi what's new about the latest A4 saloon and the answer might just be: Everything.

The reply won't be completely facetious either because the ninth generation of Audi's compact sedan really is spanking new, although it may not look it because of the familiar styling. But every piece of sheet metal is new, with its predecessor's curvier lines tweaked with sharp presses.

One exquisitely understated example is the bonnet's new clamshell design to reduce visual clutter. The clamshell's shut-line lines up perfectly with the beltline which, as a body crease, made this harder to achieve than it looks. With a drag coefficient of 0.23, the Audi A4 also has the best aerodynamics in its class.