Audi is hoping to draw in some of the crowds at the Frankfurt Motor Show with the all-new S4 saloon. The newcomer is expected to go on sale at the start of 2016, and is more powerful and efficient than any car to wear the S4 badge before.
The biggest news is that the new Audi S4 ditches the outgoing car's supercharged unit in favour of a turbocharged 3.0-litre direct-injection V6. Power is of course up, from 328bhp to 349bhp, and crucially torque is also boosted from 440Nm to 500Nm.
While those are fairly typical increases for an all-new model, don't forget weight is also down by around 120kg thanks to the new MLB Evo platform on the standard A4. That and the Quattro permanent four-wheel drive system means 0-62mph is dealt with in 4.7 seconds, with an electronically-limited top speed of 155mph.
Those figures aren't quite enough to worry the BMW M3, but Audi will come in all guns blazing with the full-fat RS4 in 2017. For now, the S4 is considered a relatively warm rather than 'hot' saloon, and the mild styling upgrades reflect that. Audi itself admits the reprofiled front and rear bumper are subtle, but the quad tailpipes show the sporting intent.
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Inside, there's leather and alcantara 'S' sports seats, illuminated door sill trims and brushed aluminium finishings, with features like the 12.3-inch 'Virtual Cockpit' digital instruments from the regular A4.
More news from the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show can be found right here...