Features / 12 September 2024 / Albert du Toit

This is the last petrol-powered Audi A4 you can ever buy in South Africa

The Audi A4 as we know it will soon bid farewell.

The petrol-powered version of Audi’s rival to the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class will be replaced by the next-generation A5 come the middle of next year.

The thinking behind this move revolves around electric vehicles (EV).

Audi recently made the decision to abandon its divisive “e-tron” badging for EVs and instead rely on its tried-and-trusted naming scheme to boost sales of these cars in the face of waning demand.

Thus, it announced in June 2024 that going forward, all even numbers in Audi nomenclature will stand for electrically powered model series such as the A4, Q6, and so forth.

Odd numbers will then be a signal for cars with combustion or plug-in hybrid powertrains, like the new A3 and A5.

“The model numbers for electric models and classic model series are differentiated in order to provide clarity about the respective drive system of the model at a glance,” said the German marque.

Getting back to the situation in South Africa, Audi this month made several updates and changes to its domestic portfolio, removing some entries whilst adding others.

During this process, it whittled down the A4 family to just two Black Edition models, which are only differentiated by their engines.

There’s also the sporty S4 Black Edition still on the proverbial shelf, as well as the pinnacle RS4 Avant.

Should one of your dreams be to have a petrol-powered model of the A4 family in your garage, these four options are the last you may ever have in South Africa.

Audi A4 Black Edition

The last hurrah

The A4 Black Edition variants were introduced to South Africa in November 2023 as the last hurrah of the evergreen sedan.

The key selling point of the special-edition trim is that it boasts a number of standard fittings at a significantly lower cost than if they were to be optioned individually.

Black Edition models offer distinctive looks courtesy of the standard inclusion of the usually-optional Black Styling Package that brings blackened accents on the grille and bumpers, mirror housings, window surrounds, and badging, in addition to tinted privacy glass.

They wear the S Line exterior pack, too, bringing sportier bumpers, Matrix LED headlights, as well as unique 19-inch alloy wheels.

The S Line interior option is also selected, which adds accent surfaces in gloss black, a dark headliner, stainless steel foot pedals, electric Sports seats in fine Nappa leather with S embossing, and illuminated scuff plates with the S logo.

Wrapping things up on the normal A4 Black Edition is a glass sunroof, central touchscreen with navigation and Audi Connect, three-zone automatic air-conditioning, digital driver’s display, rear-view camera, and a wireless charger.

For the sportier S4, the equipment list continues with a carbon rear spoiler, premium Bang&Olufsen sound system, and front Sports Seats Plus with diamond quilting, heating, massaging, and pneumatic lumbar support.

Audi S4 Black Edition

The two remaining A4 Black Edition derivatives are exclusively sold with either the petrol-burning 35TFSI or 40TFSI powerplants

Both consist of a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine twisting the front wheels only via a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic gearbox. The 35TFSI is tuned to develop 110kW and 270Nm, whereas the 40TFSI is good for 140kW and 320Nm.

The less-powerful model sprints to 100km/h in 8.9 seconds and reports a combined fuel usage of 6.1l/100km, versus 7.3 seconds and 6.3l/100km in its stronger sibling.

As for the S4, it utilises a 3.0-litre, V6, turbo-petrol block generating 260kW and 500Nm at 8.6l/100km. An eight-speed shifter directs power down to the quattro all-wheel-drive system, resulting in a 0-100km/h sprint of 4.7 seconds and top speed of 250km/h.

Prospective owners looking for the cream of the crop can still get the high-octane RS4 Avant, albeit for a limited time.

It brings an equal level of luxuries to the S4 bar a few noteworthy highlights such as RS-specific styling, sports suspension, a sports exhaust, distinctive leather seats, and a suite of advanced assistance systems.

Under the hood of the RS4, you’ll find a 2.9-litre, V6, twin-turbocharged petrol block pushing out a generous 331kW and 600Nm.

It similarly employs an eight-speed auto-box and quattro system, allowing the practical estate to rocket to triple digits in 4.1 seconds on to its way of an electronically limited maximum of 250km/h – which can be raised to 290km/h by ticking the right boxes at checkout.