The Audi A4 celebrates its 25th anniversary as the most commercially successful line of cars from Audi, the German car manufacturer.
I was never the one who got excited on the prospect of celebrating my own birthday. Birthdays, most of the time were like regular days for me, except the nights, obviously, where my peers were more excited to chug down certain beverages in my honour. But, this time, for the first time, I felt something different about my birthday. I turned 25 this year, and, along with me, so did a car, which I clearly remember seeing for the first time in my neighbourhood and falling for. This ’90s’ kid has matured like a fine gentleman, appealing to so many globally. Yes, I am talking about the Audi A4, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
The Audi A4, produced as a successor to Audi 80 series, first rolled out in 1994 from its assembly line in Ingolstadt, Germany. Within a full year since its inception, the car became the bestseller in 1995. Following the success and the unfazed demand of the A4 series, the company has produced more than 7.5 million units till date. This makes it one of the most commercially successful cars worldwide in the premium mid-size segment. With 3,44,586 units sold in 2018, it still continues to be the star performer for the four-ringed car makers. Approximately every fifth Audi delivered worldwide comes from this series.
The Audi A4 is known for its elegance, sportiness and comfort. But these qualities were not enough to please the very demanding European customers. Audi had to push to their limit and stand true to their slogan, “Vorsprung Durch Technik”, which means, “advancement through technology”. The result was the betterment of the A4 car line. The engineers in Audi combined leading-edge technology and a durable design, along with a wide choice of efficient engines and unique transmissions. This proved to be their ‘Mool Mantra‘ for the success of the A4. Moreover, significant technical advancement in the car’s fuel efficiency helped Audi in reducing the carbon footprint by over eight per cent overall according to Clean Green Cars.
The Audi A4’s understated aesthetics coupled with an excellent build quality has helped the car to retain its stand in the podium. Another feature of the Audi A4 comes in the form of the drive select system, which allows the driver to fine-tune the car’s behaviour. It regulates the car’s throttle response, steering and the suspension in accordance to the driver’s own preference. Yet, the engineers at Audi wanted more, and, hence, adaptive cruise control was added, which moderated the car’s speed as well as maintained a certain distance from the vehicle in front of it. Side Assist and Lane Assist packages added more meat to the package and desirability of the higher-performance variants of the A4 – the S4 and RS 4.
“For a quarter of a century now, the Audi A4 has symbolized the Four Rings like no other model. It stands for cutting-edge technology in the premium mid-range, as well as for innovative production
technologies at the highest level,” said Albert Mayer, Plant Director at Audi’s site in Ingolstadt. He further added, “The Audi A4 is a key pillar of the Ingolstadt plant in particular. Our employees’ tireless commitment and passion for our brand have been and continue to be the driving force behind the impressive success story of the A4.”
On this occasion, Peter Mosch, Chairman of the Group Labour Council at Audi AG was quoted saying: “The A4 is a symbol of the Audi brand’s success. Our colleagues have made this possible over the past 25 years with a lot of dedication and commitment. This is a great achievement of which we members of the Works Council are very proud, and upon which I would like to congratulate everyone involved.”
A car this popular means a vast production line. To meet this demand of A4, Audi’s two main plants in Germany – Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm – have to share the production of the car via the so-called production turntable system. Audi also manufactures in Changchun, China and in Aurangabad, India, for the local markets.
It’s been four years since the introduction of the present B9-generation A4 and we look forward to more thrill and innovation from one of the most popular names in the business.
Also read: Audi A4 35 TDI Road Test Review
Story : Koustubh Mukherjee
