• Excellent fit and finish throughout
• Standard-fit Virtual Cockpit
• Large infotainment display

How is the quality and the layout?

Audi is a company famed for its interiors, and it’s no different with the A4, which boasts excellent quality and neat design. There are similarities with other Audi models thanks to the full-width air vents also found in the Q7.

Whatever surfaces your fingers caress, you’ll be impressed by the tactile qualities, from the squidgy soft-touch plastics to the exquisitely-damped switchgear – even the silver-coloured heating controls look and feel high-end to use.

Each element of switchgear feels reassuringly solid, with fine design and neat detailing and we especially like the conductive toggle-switch style climate controls.

Infotainment and technology

All A4s come with the firm’s Virtual Cockpit system, which displays all relevant information (from sat-nav, audio, telephone and regular dials) on a multi-configurable 12.3-inch LCD screen replacing standard instruments.

It’s all touchscreen-controlled: although it looks sharp and is usefully large at 10.1 inches, it can be fiddly to operate on the move. Not only do you have to look at the screen more, there’s no ledge to rest your hand while you’re doing so. Thankfully, the voice-activated controls work well.

If that’s not for you, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto work well, too. The 10.1-inch multimedia screen (below) looks like it should fold away as it did on older Audis, but is permanently fixed.

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Comfort

• Excellent driving position
• Impressive seats on all models
• Ride can be firm on standard suspension

Seat adjustment, along with that of the steering wheel, is ample and we found no issues getting into a comfortable driving position. All the seats available are comfortable and supportive – especially on S Line models with extendable seat cushions beneath your thighs.

All that really lets the A4 down from a comfort perspective is space in the rear, but if that’s a critical issue you’d need to progress to the larger A6.

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