New Audi A4 is more powerful and more economical to take on the BMW 3 Series

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The new 2016 Audi A4 and A4 Avant arrive with an evolutionary design, more power and better economy to take on the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class.

The new Audi A4 has been revealed ahead of a debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show, and you’d be forgiven for thinking this is just a facelift for the A4. But it’s not.

In fact, the new A4 is pretty much all new; it’s a bit bigger all round, a chunk lighter (120kg), sits on the new MLB Evo Platform is more economical and more powerful. Which is all good.

The design is familiar, but it has changed.

There’s a wider grill new headlights with LED running lights, wide shoulders, prominent lines down the flanks, new tail lights, a flatter roof and an altogether more purposeful look. It seems the A4 has an extra dose of testosterone in its DNA.

Inside, Audi has given the new A4 a more thorough makeover, with a completely re-designed dash, centre console, seats, steering wheel and MMI (with the option of the 12.3″ Virtual Cockpit), as well as new materials, trim and colour options.

Under the bonnet there’s a choice of seven engines – four diesel and three petrol – which are either new or heavily revised, with the promise of a 21 per cent improvement in economy and 25 per cent in power. Which is an appealing combination, especially if it actually translates to the real world.

Power outputs now range from 148bhp to 272bhp, with economy and emissions as low as 74.2mpg and 95g/km in the 2.0 litre TDI Ultra saloon, with a new 1.4 litre TFSI delivering 148bhp and 57.6mpg and 215bhp and 268bhp versions of the 3.0 litre TDI V6. Also likely to join the fray after the new A4 goes on sale is a new A4 e-tron with the hybrid powertrain from the A3.

Manual gearboxes are standard on the petrol and four-cylinder diesels, but the V6 diesels get a seven-speed S tronic (optional on other models) and the 268bhp diesel gets an eight-speed Tiptronic and quattro 4WD.

The new A4 also starts down the road of autonomous driving, with a traffic jam assist function for negotiating stop start traffic that can take full control at low speed, and adaptive cruise that maintains the best speed for the best economy.

More details – including prices for the new A4 – will be revealed closer to the car’s official debut at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, before going on sale in the autumn.