Changes to the Audi A4 Lineup Mean Less Front-wheel Drive for 2018

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

Audi’s increasingly mature A4 stands to see less front-wheel motivation in the coming model year.

As the compact sedan’s clout and content grows, Audi plans to take one drivetrain configuration off the table come 2018. The move will mean that Quattro all-wheel drive will soon cover a larger slice of the lineup, but it could also mean crossing the 200-horsepower threshold in an A4 is about to become more expensive.

According to CarsDirect.com senior pricing analyst Alex Bernstein, Audi will drop the front-drive version of the A4 equipped with the 252-horsepower 2.0-liter turbo four. That leaves the base A4 Ultra — introduced for 2017 with a 190 hp 2.0-liter and a 31 mile-per-gallon combined fuel economy rating — as the only FWD A4 model.

The gas-sipping Ultra comes solely with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, while the uplevel A4 engine will still offer the choice of a six-speed manual in addition to the DCT. An Audi spokesperson has confirmed these specs.

The move to scrap the FWD/uplevel engine combo will likely mean a greater purchase price for buyers looking to harness that model’s 252 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque. While the less powerful Ultra carries a base MSRP of $34,900 plus a $950 destination charge for 2017, moving up to a bigger engine in entry-level trim means spending an extra $2,400. Adding all-wheel drive to the package adds an extra $2,100, for a pre-delivery MSRP of $39,400.

It’s quite unlikely that Audi would lower the price of the higher output 2018 Quattro model to bridge the gap. CarsDirect claims orders for 2018 models should begin late this month or in early May.

[Image: © Timothy Cain/The Truth About Cars]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • Johnster Johnster on Apr 26, 2017

    It was the Ingolstadt Corolla.

  • Brawnychicken333 Brawnychicken333 on Apr 26, 2017

    Here in Connecticut there are basically no FWD Audi's at all already. This seems more like a simplification of the line up than anything else.

  • 5280thinair 5280thinair on Apr 26, 2017

    I bought an A4 a couple of months ago and there was exactly one front-wheel drive A4 available across the five dealerships I talked to. Of course I'm in Colorado, which may skew things a bit. Of course, the A4 is unusual for this segment in that the 2wd versions are FWD rather than RWD. The main reason I went with the Quattro version was because it's the only way to get an A4 with a rear-wheel drive bias, not because I felt I needed all four wheels driven.

  • DelsFan DelsFan on Oct 11, 2019

    Isn't the "new" Quattro system basically a 99.9%-of-the-time FWD system anyway? The only time power is sent to the rear wheels is when slippage is detected - which in many climates might be a couple of times per year? All the rest of the time, your expensive German car handles like a pig?

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