Audi chooses high technology, cautious design evolution for new A4

In addition to lighter weight and significant improvements in efficiency, the new car employs plenty of technology and driver support.

Audi's just-revealed 2016MY A4 is a classic example of automotive evolutionary design. Its aesthetics are not quite ripe for a game of “spot the difference” between the new fifth and previous fourth generation of this hugely successful model line, but they are close to it, even though every panel has been changed.

What this car is about, is evolution, technology, and systems' development; development of practically every aspect of its being (including new engine technology), without risking the sort of image step-change that Mercedes-Benz took in 2014 with the rival C-Class, a decision that has paid huge dividends in terms of sales and brand appreciation.