S4 Avant may look big, but wait till it embarrasses the hot hatches

Fast Facts

Verdict:
A wolf in sheep's clothing and a damn good bargain at that

Great powertrain, handling, interior and price

Steering needs a little more work

With Mercedes pursuing plushness and BMW wanting driving dynamics, what is Audi left with?

TRY ASKING ANYONE to give you the order of birth of Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz and the answer would probably be: Mercedes first, then BMW and then Audi.

But actually, Mercedes came first, then Audi, followed by BMW, which means that Audi is the ‘middle-child’, so to speak. Similarly, that ‘middle child’ holds the ground in between comfort and sporty, considering how their cars are made and marketed.

Cars from Mercedes have always been synonymous with comfort and luxury, while at the other end, BMW is better known its focus on driving pleasure. Audi, then, has settled nicely to provide a balance between the two. Not having occupied a polar extreme, which could have sensationalised their image, has made their cars look like the more sensible option, to the extent that some may even call them boring.

Well, let’s see them call this one boring.