Audi gave the S4 new looks and more power for 2018. It gave us a set of keys for a week.
The beginning of each new year is a time for fresh thinking and doing things differently. It’s not quite January 1st yet, but that didn’t stop Audi from coming up with a new S4 for the 2018 model year. We’re lucky enough to experience one for an entire week.
As you’d expect, the styling is new and incorporates a sharper, more defined grille, headlights, and taillights. Underneath the sheet metal, there’s a redesigned front five-link suspension; a sport adaptive damping setup is available.
The 2018 S4’s engine is a departure from the past, as well. Instead of using a supercharger like its predecessor, the 3.0-liter V6 uses one twin-scroll turbocharger. Output is up significantly. The new six cranks out 354 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque – increases of 21 and 44, respectively. Engineers threw out the old seven-speed dual-clutch auto and replaced it with an eight-speed tiptronic unit. That’s connected to standard quattro all-wheel drive. During a quick highway drive in Dynamic mode this morning, the S4 felt every bit as powerful as Audi claims it is.
Our particular S4 review vehicle has been outfitted with a variety of packages and options, which took it from a base price of $51,400 to an as-tested price of $65,625. The Prestige package includes features such as navigation, the Audi virtual cockpit, and a full-color head-up display. Thanks to the S Sport package, our car has adaptive damping, red calipers, and a sport rear differential. Our car also has the driver assistance package’s adaptive cruise control, lane assist, auto high beams, and traffic sign recognition. Dynamic steering, 19-inch wheels, carbon fiber interior accents, Nappa leather, and a Cold Weather package with heated rear seats and steering wheel round out our S4’s extra goodies.
We’ll be driving the S4 as much as we can around Austin, Texas, making sure to hit the curviest roads to test out its fancy dampers and diff, upgraded steering, and torquey V6. If you have any questions about what it’s like to be behind the wheel of the 2018 Audi S4, feel free to ask them at the bottom of this page via Facebook or in the dedicated forum thread in the middle of this post.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
