Looking For Perfection

Yesterday was all about charisma. The days before, the future of driving, more or less ambitious.
Today, thanks to a very nice invitation from the Audi Forum at Munich airport, something more solid, almost down-to-earth. But still a bit exciting.

Exciting, of course, is the word you least hear when the topic of discussion comes to the new Audi A4. Same old, same old, “just a facelift”, nothing’s changed. That seems to be a widely held belief.
Like many beliefs, of course, it is not founded in facts.

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Car! Airplane! This photo has everything.

On the outside, you may be excused if you don’t see many changes. However, asking a large automaker to radically alter the looks of its bread-and-butter mid-size four door car is akin to asking Jever to make their pilsner a little less bitter.

Still, there are many more design changes to it than to the iPhone 6s, and we know that the only thing that changed there is everything. 
Subtle edits to the grille, headlights, taillights, mirrors, bonnet, air intake, side skirts, and more, add to an overall impression of a sharper and sleeker car than its predecessor.

And it’s not only the looks - the new A4 also promises to be better to drive, through a combination of lighter weight, improved suspension, and better steering.

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“Can’t innovate anymore, my ass!”

To experience that, you have to first sit in the car, of course. And look at the interior.
For the “nothing’s changed!” naysayers, this is where it should get a bit “ahem, err…”, egg on face, foot in mouth, humble pie for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Because you have to be blind not to see that sure, the steering wheel is still (somewhat) round, but the rest has changed. And of course you can argue that it hasn’t changed for the better, but you might look a bit like a fool. Because this is what an interior in 2015 has to have - lightness, airiness, with nice clean lines, and a few oversized screens to distract you from your smartphone for at least a bit while driving.

Of course, there is the main navigation monitor, which should be familiar, just jumped in size from M to XL. Those of you still claiming that Audi should have somehow “integrated” that screen more into the dashboard, feel free to imagine just how massive such a dash would have to be.
Of course, they could have continued using a smaller screen, but…no. I want me iPad mini in me car.

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No Bee Gees here.

The real looker, however, is the new virtual cockpit, which (optionally, for a price, this is still a German car) replaces the analogue gauges in use since the Stone Age.
Content? Pretty much the same as the large central monitor. Just with the huge benefit of keeping your eyes more towards the road ahead instead of to the side, while you idly browse your Bee Gees collection doing 250 (electronically limited) on the Autobahn.
If you add the (also optional) HUD, complete with nice clear graphics and well-timed indications for when to turn left, right, or not at all; you will never have to move your head to the side. And risk taking a look at your passenger who is furious because you only play the Bee Gees.

On the wonderful Bang & Olufsen with 3D sound. Of course.

And of course the list of technical advancements doesn’t end here. If you like, you can get your Bee Gees fix by ways of Apple CarPlay or, if you are one of those people, Android Auto. If this gets you in a mood, you can change the ambient lighting from baby blue to a strong red. Or bright green, or pink. It’s your car, nobody’s judging.

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Night -> Day Converter, with dynamic indicator.

If you configure wisely, you will be able to see everything in front, even if it’s dark, because you will have Matrix LED. Which are awesome. And if you get distracted by that Phish song someone added to your playlist, no worries, the A4 can be had with active-prettymucheverything-assist, where it can basically drive itself. But won’t, because legalese. 

So, how does it drive? Almost perfect, at least in this tested 3.0 TDI quattro guise.
The engine with 272PS, 600NM and 8-speed automatic more than takes care of straight-line acceleration when needed (always), and the previously mentioned 250km/h when wanted (often).
And when the roads get more narrow and windy, there is still a lot of fun to be had. Engine, steering and quattro suspension play together harmoniously, enabling you to effortlessly feel like being a really really good driver at curve speeds where your mother might start raising an eyebrow or two.

Still, it’s no BMW (without xDrive) or Jaguar steering, which is to be expected since the front wheels also have to deal with going faster and cannot concentrate as much on turning. But it’s quite close.
Also, I am sure the quattro sport differential, not (yet?) available for the 3.0 TDI, would have made quite a difference regarding the still noticeable understeer.

But these minor quibbles cannot distract from my overall impression that the new A4 is an extremely good car. Because a gazillion people will buy it, it may lack a bit in charisma compared to more exotic brethren. But there is a reason all these people buy it.

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quattro!

The new A4 manages to take the best from its predecessor, and refine it to a point where even our less than three years old A7 sometimes looks a bit envious. Especially when it comes to the more high-tech bits. All while keeping an elegant exterior with clean lines, and the usual Audi interior where you have to go much higher in the automotive food-chain to find something comparable in haptic perfection.

Cat In The Middle Class

Recently, I had the opportunity to test drive two recent entries into the class of mid-sized cars.
Originating from two different countries - the UK and Germany - and offering somewhat differing philosophies, this was quite an interesting comparison to make.

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And isn’t she a beauty

First, the Jaguar XE. Thanks to British Cars Landshut, the first retailer for Jaguar and Land Rover in this up and coming city, my first experience with a car from that island in the North Sea.
Predisposed to the experience in quite a positive way, because I watch(ed) Top Gear. Should be nice to get away with everything, in style.

And style is certainly the one thing this and other Jaguars have in abundance. You can’t help but notice it from the gorgeous design on the outside, and the feeling continues unabated when sitting inside.
Of course, then you start the engine, and behold, it’s a Diesel (in this case the one with 180PS and ZF 8-speed automatic). No, this combination seems not to fit, but something’s got to give in times of fuel prices™.
At least you still get that lovely rising gear controller rising from the centre console, which James May and all of us adored starting with the first XF.

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It’s got a tan!

The rest of the experience with the interior is…good. It is certainly on par with a BMW 3-series, but the haptic-obsessed people at Audi have it beaten. You also get softer and smoother leather at the four rings, if for a price.
The biggest letdown however, at least compared to its German rivals, is the infotainment. Graphics on the competitively sized touch-screen look nice, until you get to the map, which is a bit five years ago at least. Connection to an iPhone was “you can change volume and skip a track” Bluetooth only, and didn’t even get much better with the Jaguar InControl app installed on said iPhone.
Which means, that app is cumbersome, and pretty much useless. Jaguar should give up that train of thought very quickly, and just hop on the Apple CarPlay/Android Auto bandwagon.

Resting still then, the XE is a mix of impressions. Let’s hit that starter button, complete with pulsating red light, and see what it is like to drive.

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This may be a view worthy of slowing down a bit for

With this engine, not too much excitement should be expected (for more, consider the V6 S-version). And indeed, nothing unexpected occurs when accelerating. The little Diesel that could certainly tries itself at some drama, happily revving up to 4000+ even in normal mode without really being asked to do that. The result, however, is rather a conversion of power to noise, not of power into acceleration.
Therefore, something unexpected actually did occur - the ZF 8-speed automatic, known for its sophistication in cars like pretty much every BMW (or Rolls Royce), seemed confused here and not very well suited to the task. It might have been an issue with the “learning” every automatic does, and this one did not have much of a chance to do so, the tested XE being quite a new car.

What it lacks in a straight line, however, this cat more than makes up for when the road gets twisty. Especially the steering is an absolute joy, aided by the inherent advantages of rear-wheel drive. Add a suspension which is just so and brakes that, indeed, do stop the car in time, the XE at least with this engine vastly prefers narrow and winding roads to a boring, straight Autobahn.

Most of its drivers may share that sentiment. And this might answer the question who this car is for - people who enjoy the occasional detour via backroads, love the styling and badge releasing them from the oppression of the Audi, BMW and Mercedes majority, love some good engine noise, and are not bothered when that noise does not necessarily translate to acceleration.
And who don’t care all that much about this modern nonsense called “infotainment”. Just tell me where to go, please, and maybe play something on the radio. CarPlay? Yes, I do play with my car, it’s called the Nordschleife. 

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Just lovely

So, the new Jaguar XE. Looks, fun and charisma. And, most importantly, you will be driving a Jaaaaaaaag.
For rationality, perfection and high-tech, the already mentioned German rival might offer a bit more. More on that later.

Partially Electrified

After my experience with the Tesla Model S, I was especially looking forward to a short test drive with the Audi A3 e-tron. Thank you once again to the fine folks at Audi Zentrum Landshut for this opportunity.

I started the drive with an almost fully charged battery, which meant an indicated range of 37km. Which is somewhat less impressive than the Tesla, but is offset by that 1.4l petrol engine, which leads to a combined range of up to 940km. 

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Fancy e-tron specific instrument cluster showing combined ranges

As my wife and I use a 1.4 petrol A3 already, I was mainly interested in the electric driving aspect of the e-tron.
Perfect for doing daily chores throughout the city, the “EV” mode of the car allows you to use only the battery while driving, unless you kick down or shift the gear lever in S-mode.
This is quite an experience, as you silently pull away from your parking position, wander through city streets barely making a sound, and almost drive over unwitting pedestrians crossing the streets because they never heard you coming. Okay, I guess people need to learn to expect silent electric cars in the future (or we add artificial noise to them, which kind of defeats one purpose of this technology).

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Fancy display shows silent mode in action

And it’s no slouch either - 330NM of electric torque are at your disposal from the get go, perfectly sufficient for city touring.

Add the fact that this is still an Audi A3, in every guise a pretty perfect compact car (now with a little less luggage space, because, battery), and you have quite the selling point. For quite a price, which you will only partially get back through saved fuel.

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Still an A3, still good looking, with subtle design cues for the e-tron

But…I drove the Tesla two days before that. 
Before the Tesla, I very much considered such a plugin hybrid for my next car, seeing it just as the Audi execs seem to do - a perfect intermediate technology before we all have batteries good for ranges of a 1000 miles and recharging in ten seconds or less.
Now though, I wonder if this isn’t a bit half-baked. And I notice things like the electric range not caring at all for your driving style, because why bother, you always have the petrol engine as well.
The Tesla offers you a realistic range based on your driving, and that’s what you need in an EV.

Nissan will probably offer a Leaf with 300 mile range and autonomous driving in 2018. When Audi will just start to offer the probably very nice, but also probably very expensive Q6.
I bet they will have nothing to offer in the compact car range that compares to the new Leaf.
And I think the emphasis on “intermediate technologies”, instead of going all-in, will be to blame for that. 
Because what the Tesla, and even the current Leaf, or the BMW i3 show - a petrol car turned hybrid, or even turned EV, will never be as good an EV as one built from the ground as such.
Will never have the upsides of EV construction (more luggage space, for example).
The A3 e-tron, with its little electric helper engine, therefore is more a sign of a carmaker not wanting to go all-in. Calm reassurance for all those hesitating that yes, it is okay to hesitate. But is it?

Upsides? Hybrid cars help finance the important research in future batteries, certainly a core technology for automakers. 
Also, the electric motor, as mentioned, is perfect for preserving the petrol engine while you go on these short drives during a shopping tour. Silent, too.
And you don’t have to do anything different from a normal car when going for a longer drive. Where you may even save some petrol. 

Most importantly, this is still an A3. Which is an extremely good car. Now with an interesting twist.

Electrified

The times, they are a changin’…

And how time flies. Spring 2012, Geneva Motor Show, is where I first saw a Tesla Model S. Not yet production ready, the attending staff warned everyone that this was not the quality to expect later on, quite apparent since some of the fancy door handles had failed.
“Nice idea, but…” I thought to myself and wandered over to have a look (and drool) at the new V8-engined Audi S7.

Fast forward to October 2013, and I had my first drive in the Model S, now fully equipped with working doors, and, in its P85+ guise, extremely impressive driving characteristics.
“Nice car, but…” - interior and exterior quality was still below a level I would want in a 100k+ car, the touchscreen was confusing at best, maybe even distracting (those smudges!), and Tesla had cheerfully glossed over any kind of driving assistance besides an old-fashioned cruise control and parking (beep) sensors. Electric drive was nice, but I was not really electrified, and could happily drive home in the Diesel A7, confident I wasn’t missing anything.

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The P85+ two years ago. Still an exceptional exterior design.

Two years later, and now the Model S was starting to drive itself, handing its customers a beta software called “autopilot”. “Nice technology, but…” isn’t this just the same radar cruise control, active lane keeping and auto parking our now 2 and 2,5 year old Audis had already? 
Sure, lane change is nice, but, toy, beta, potentially unsafe, just see on Youtube.

Tesla, willing to remove the “but…” in everyone’s mind, had just happened to send an invitation to another test drive, this time hassle-free in my new home town of Landshut. And since I was still curious, I found myself on a Sunday evening at a nearby hotel, cheerfully (as always) welcomed by the attending Tesla representatives. 
And sure, we can try the autopilot, the car had been updated just a few days ago and has that new feature now. A phrase you would never hear on a current Audi, BMW or Mercedes.

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The test drive car pretty much looked like this. Image © Tesla Motors, because too dark for own photos

First impressions were impressive indeed. In just two years, Tesla’s interior had made a jump from “yes, it’s an American car” to something closing in on Audi (which is high praise).
I also had made a jump, from “I hate touchscreens in cars” to “guess I will have to live with touch screens in cars”. Therefore, the giant, “we don’t need no stinkin’ buttons” iPad contraption in the centre console was more fascinating than annoying this time around, though that may also have been a function of sunset already behind us and therefore, no smudges!

Also, my attention was instantly drawn to the updated virtual cockpit you can see in all its glory at the top of this post.
With the new software version, there is a clear focus on the autopilot features of the car, and here indeed it constantly shows you what’s going on. This is perfect.

All lane markings recognized, the cars position in that lane, any detected obstacles or traffic around you, and the car in front of you are clearly marked and up-to-date.
This makes you as the operator/driver very aware of what the Model S is “seeing”, and even thinking. And leads to the effect described by the accompanying Tesla rep as “You’re getting confident in the car very quickly!”
While we were cruising on the Autobahn. At 140km/h. Doing a lane change. “Look Ma, no hands!”.

(hands at all times near the steering wheel as instructed by the car itself when switching autopilot on. of course.)

To sum up, the “autopilot” may be beta, but only in ways Google Mail was beta for many years.
Which is to say, it works really well. Which is to say, I want this on my morning commute. Now. Please.

And the rest? Impressive as always. The Tesla Model S effortlessly speeds up, regeneratively slows down, corners in ways of much smaller and sportier cars, navigates you to where you want to go, plays some internet radio at the same time, and looks like a fashion model while doing so.

Things I didn’t like? The stereo starts making noises whenever I keep my phone near that “iPad”, something I have never seen on other cars. Tesla, please.

And, being used to very bright and very white shiny LED headlights, the Model S’ Xenons appeared rather dim and yellow. Not bad, but such a futuristic car deserves a bit more forward-looking (and energy saving) lighting technology. Of course, American regulators still live in the 70s, so hoping for an American carmaker to invest in things like Audi’s Matrix or Mercedes’ Multibeam LED is probably wishful thinking. Still, that would be icing on the high-tech cake.

But even with these minor annoyances, I am starting to ponder things now. Things like what kind of range I really need, and if a 20 minute supercharger stop every 400km or so isn’t actually a good thing forcing me to take that recommended break I forgo much too often?
The answer is more and more leaning towards “Great car, this could actually work”. And I am becoming more and more confident that my future may not hold a shiny V6, or even V8 (no hard feelings, Audi S7?), but an electric car with batteries.

And even if it won’t be a Tesla, because the people at Audi Landshut are so damn nice, and those four rings are just what I need, I will be very happy if there is a fully electric Q6 in time, and maybe even more battery-driven models. And I will know that this is thanks to Tesla, because seriously, after witnessing the Model S, you will agree that this is the well-deserved kick in the butt German auto makers need.

Many thanks go to Tesla Germany, and especially the fine folks at Tesla Munich, for the kind invitation to and arrangement of this test drive. If you are in Munich, spend some time to visit them, they really are a very friendly and enthusiastic bunch.