Six where once there were eight—is it better?
When it came to the last-generation S4, it seemed as if Audi wanted nothing more than to win some sort of big-displacement contest, stuffing its 4.2-liter V-8 under the hood. Now, though, Audi is up to new (or maybe old) tricks, scrapping cubic inches in favor of pressurized air. The new S4 sedan and S4 Avant station wagon are powered by a 3.0-liter direct-injection V-6, force-fed by an Eaton supercharger.
So downsizing is back, and this is the strategy at its best. Yes, it is six cylinders instead of eight and seven fewer horsepower than before, but those losses are offset by superior weight distribution and performance. ‘The S models embody our philosophy of showing superiority,’ Audi product marketing exec Jürgen Klaschka says without modesty.
