2013 Audi A4: First Look

2013-Audi-A42013 Audi A4

For the 2013 model year, Audi’s best-selling vehicle, the A4, will undergo a mild refresh, bringing its appearance in line with the new 2012 Audi A6.

While we don’t have specific information on U.S. specifications, a release date or pricing just yet, this is the updated A4 sedan for the U.S.

Starting with the exterior, the 2013 Audi A4 sedan, S4 and A4 Avant — the wagon may be discontinued for the U.S. and replaced with an All Road model — will get new front and rear bumpers, headlights, taillights, hood and front grille designs. Optional xenon headlights feature LED daytime running lights; there’s also LED taillamps.

The side profile and interior design are mostly unchanged from the previous A4, which first debut in 2009.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t any changes in the cabin, but they’re subtle (we already thought the A4 had a great interior, so no harm, no foul). There are new steering-wheel designs, including a flat-bottomed steering wheel for the S4. The MMI navigation controls have been simplified, now featuring four instead of eight button controls. Script functions on the MMI system are now integrated into the volume control dial, too. Also, most controls are now adorned in chrome. The interior colors, except for black, have been “re-coordinated,” according to Audi. Nappa leather is now available, which is more refined than the previous top-of-the-line leather upholstery in the A4, according to the company.

2013-Audi-A4.12013 Audi A4

The A4 sedan and Avant are available in a multitude of engine variants in Germany, but the U.S. is currently relegated to a 211-horsepower, 2.0-liter inline-four, which apparently is still available (with the same power) in the 2013 model year. The 2013 S4 is powered by the same 333-hp, 3.0-liter V-6. Again, no word yet on U.S. specifications, but we assume those two engines will be the same here, too.

Kicking Tires