The Sport plus trim is exclusively available with the manual gearbox.
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Audi had a look at the A4’s manual transmission, and decided it was time for an upgrade.
The 2017 Audi A4 Quattro has been released by the brand as its new sedan flagship model.
That’s with the 2.0 liter TFSI engine, good for 252 horsepower and 273 lb-ft. of torque.
Sure, having a niche is always a positive and there are some die hard stick shift fanatics out there that will surely be drawn to the A4 because of its manual transmission offering, but specializing in a feature most nameplates have dropped due to a lack of sales is not going to launch the A4 to the top of its class, at least not single-handedly.
It’s also 8.8 pounds less than the previous quattro system, though it’s not the only weight saving in the vehicle. What’s more, the use of lightweight magnesium, smaller clutch, open gearwheels, as well as hollow shafts reduce the weight of the stick shift unit by 35.3 lbs (16 kg).
The new six-speed replaces a shaft to the front-axle differential with a spur-gear stage, to which Audi attributes most of the performance gain.
For those who require extra handling potential in their German sedans, there will be an optional Sport plus package. Dynamic steering and sport adaptive suspension are also included.
Alongside the growing reluctance among drivers to use their left foot, automatics have improved in their contribution to both performance and economy; indeed, it’s not unusual for the fastest 0-60 miles per hour times to be achieved by leaving the gearbox to handle its own shifts. The manual gearbox will only come on A4s equipped with Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system, instead of the less-traction-y front-wheel-drive setup.
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Still, as the only all-wheel drive six-speed manual vehicle in its luxury sedan segment, the new 2014 A4 is likely to be even more appealing to a certain cadre of owners. In fact, it was revealed to go on sale sooner with a Premium trim price of $39,400 value.
