The 2017 A4 Quattro comes with the Sport Plus package and a manual gearbox. This adds a bit of S4 tech to the luxury sedan.
In the United States, it is becoming more rare to have an all-wheel drive luxury sedan with a manual gearbox. However, the 2017 Audi A4 Quattro offers customers the option of having a clutch pedal. The prices for the A4 Quattro start at $40,350, after paying the $950 mandatory destination fee. The premium Premium Plus costs $44,150 and the Prestige is $48,950.
Audi has given the 2017 A4 a major overhaul. The redesigned six speed manual is one of the many changes. By using more magnesium and hollow parts, the updated gearbox is 35.3 pounds (16 kg) lighter than its predecessor. It also has a smaller clutch. The latest A4 comes with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that produces 252 horsepower and 273 lb.ft of torque. Manual models can travel 60 mph (96 km/h) in 5.7 seconds. This is 0.7 seconds faster than the previous model.
Audi knows that manual gearboxes are preferred by enthusiasts, so the Sport Plus package on the A4 Quattro is only available for the six-speed. This package allows passionate customers to transform the standard model into a S4, but without the turbocharged. The hotter version includes dynamic steering and sport adaptive suspension that reduces the ride height by 0.9 inches (23 mils). The S Line interior features sport seats, flat-bottom steering wheels, stainless steel pedal caps, and brushed aluminum trim. The improvements include a set of 18-inch wheels with performance tires.
The A4 Quattro sedan with the six-speed manual transmission doesn’t have EPA-estimated fuel efficiency ratings. The sedan with the seven speed dual clutch gets a 31 mpg highway, 24 mpg in the city, and 27 combined. The 2017 A4 Quattro was not available for us to test drive, but we did enjoy the 7-speed dual-clutch transmission during our First Drive. It was a very agile car thanks to its diet. It would be even more fun to manually swap cogs, we think.