THE POWERED SHOPPING TROLLEY P2
CARS WANTED
May 28, 2015
Witness
WHEELS
Exotic,luxury and supercars WANTED FOR CASH must be low mileage and mint condition, email pics and brief description to ashgani@telkomsa.net
ASH EXOTICS
Dealers in Superfine Exotic and Sports Cars Tel: 033 345 1971, 033 342 4717 Fax: 033 342 2900 - www.ashcarsales.co.za 534/550 Church Street, Pietermaritzburg 3201 • Ash 083 786 3377
KZN’S BEST READ ON BIKES, CARS, VANS, BAKKIES, TRUCK …AND SHOPPING TROLLEYS
Understated endurance BRIAN BASSETT slaloms around (almost all) Msunduzi’s potholes in the new Audi A4 1.8l TFSI Manual PHOTO: QUICKPIC
Styling Some motoring journalists regard Audi’s design as conservative, but the car has a distinction born of familiarity and is easy to recognise by its striking front grill flanked by newlydesigned headlamp modules with daytime running strip lights and an gular fog lamps. The A4 has a swept back, threedi mensional, long bonnet and continuous shoulder line, all of which stretch the car visually and create an elegant sportiness. The roofline and shoulder edge fall slightly towards the rear, ending in a spoil er that hints at the power the big, 17inch, forged, aluminum wheels will deliver to the tar. Interior The A4 has seats that are manually adjustable and very comfortable, although electric seat adjust ments are optional. The dashboard in black is de signed with care to put all immediately required information in front of the driver. The leathercovered, threespoke, multifunc tion steering wheel is a pleasure to handle and al lows the operation of a wide range of functions like cruise control, radio/aux/CD and Ipad connec tivity, as well as a Bluetooth function, which is easy to connect. Those controls not directly in front of the driver are in a centrallyplaced module and combined with a touch screen, all of which allow operation without the driver taking his eyes off the road. The interior has a spacious feel and the car is a full fiveseater, as I found out when I drove four young Rotary Interactors from Linpark High School to Cars in the Park. Unfortunately I hit a
lurking pothole, which wrecked the driver’s side front tyre, and which was changed for me by a kind stallholder, who also owned an A4. The car I drove had a manual gearbox and be cause I love to drive I had no problem with the smooth changes and the feeling of contact with the road a manual box provides. The boot is generous at some 480 litres and, with the rear seats lowered, you get 962 litres. The windows and mirrors are electrically operated and fold back once the engine is turned off, as one would expect on an executive saloon of this quality. Controls for this and the door locks are built into an armrest on the driver’s door. Performance and handling The Audi A4 1.8 litre TFSI Manual is driven by a 1 798cc inline petrol engine with direct fuel injec tion and turbocharging and uses the Audi TFSI system to generate power. It expresses its 88 kW/230 Nm on road via a six speed manual gearbox, which is a pleasure to oper ate. In town the steering is direct and steering feed back and response is immediate. With its electronic park assist the car is easy to park and the doors are designed for easy exit, even for large men like me. On the highway the car is stable at speed and overtaking is effortless. The engine is in fact so peppy that I had to keep bringing down the speed, as the speed creeps up while driving. The sound proofing is excellent and only when accelerating fast are you aware of engine noise. The Audi is, however, a town car and performs best on tar. It will take you onto the D roads with out too much trouble but, once the road becomes poor, it is clear that the car is not happy. However, if you are an offroader, buy one of the Audi Qse ries, which will take you almost anywhere. The car is quite fast with 0100 km/h coming up in about 10 seconds and top speed, if you are insane enough to want to go there, is about 208 km/h. Fuel consumption — very much de pendent on driving style and terrain — is about eight litres per 100 km. Price and competition The car comes with a oneyear, unlimited manufac turers guarantee and a fiveyear or 100 000 main tenance plan, as well as a sevenyear unlimited mileage rust warranty. There are some 18 models in the range. The entry level will cost you around R400 000, while the top of the range RS 4 Avant Quattro tops out at just over R1 million. Also have a look at the BMW 3 Series, CClass MercedesBenz and Lexus IS.
The Audi Q5. Dynamic. Comfortable. Superior. Each route is different, many of them are challenging. It is good to be prepared for unexpected situations. Numerous technical innovations await you in the Audi Q5, helping to get you to your destination more effectively.
Audi Centre Pietermaritzburg 9 Armitage Road, Pietermaritzburg, 3201. Tel: 033 940 1382. www.audipietermaritzburg.co.za Nathi Mncube • Sharon Mpulo • Darryl Chetty New Vehicle Sales Manager: Prunella Naidoo
BP Advertising
AUDI has always had a reputation for reliability and longevity in South Africa. Retirees bought an Audi because they knew that even if they lived to be 80, they would still be driv ing the car. Colleagues of mine at Rotary have A4s that have done well over 300 000 km and have done only normal maintenance and replaced tyres and batteries. Of all the Audi models the A4 is Audi’s world car and is made in places as far apart as Germany and China. It is one of the bestselling automobiles in the world, but in South Africa it has sold less well, some say because of its association with older peo ple who find its durability attractive. However, the arrival of the RS (Renn Sport) models and the retention of Audi’s legendary Quattro allwheel drive system, have made the marque much more exciting and attractive to younger buyers. The A4 is an iconic motor car and I am grateful to Darryl Topper, dealer principal at Audi centre, Pietermaritzburg, for allowing me to drive one for a few days.