AUDI HAS GOT A LOT RIDING ON THE NEW A4 AND ROHAN JOSHI THINKS THEY COULDN’T HAVE FOUND A MORE CAPABLE SET OF SHOULDERS

Uh-Oh, Something's happened here. The new A4 is here, and suddenly I have to re-evaluate everything I think I know about Audi, a brand I've always liked but found slightly boring, Vorsprung Durch Technik, the guttural Audi credo says; advancement through technology. The 3.2-litre A4-Quattro feels more like Vorsprung Drunk Technik; so engaging, emotive and flat-out fun that it can't have been designed sober.

Or then again, maybe it was, given the sheer balance and poise it exudes. At the launch, Audi outlined three key areas they wanted the A4 (and the Audi brand as a whole) to excel in. They said they wanted it to be sporty, a quality which the car's Quattro four-wheel drive system brings to the table in spades. It ensures you've got power, and the grip that goes with it, flowing to all four wheels at all times. With that sort of grip, this car doesn't take corners; it puts them down and murders their self-esteem before running off with their wives.

And that's not all it does. The A4 loves its straights too. 265bhp and 330Nm of torque mean that it gets off the line clean and quick and then just keeps going. Put your foot down on that deep accelerator and the usually silent V6 engine roars in joy, wondering why you've been keeping the lid on so long.

Audi also said they wanted the A4 to be sophisticated, and that's where the magnificent Drive Select system steps up to the plate. A quick push of a button switches the suspension to Dynamic for a sporty, hard ride or Comfort for a day in the country. Add to that a Dynamic Steering system that always keeps the steering at just the right weight you need and you've got a car that feels like it's a servant to you, instead of the other way round, which is something so many modern cars suffer from.

I'm running out of space and I haven't even started writing paeans to the Tiptronic automatic transmission yet, what with its smooth, blink-of-the-eye shifts. And I don't have the space to talk about the minor complaints I have, like the low ride-height that caused some repeated stomach-churning speed-bump contact on our drive. Please re-think that, Audi.

Sorry, but I need the remaining space to talk about the last thing Audi said it wanted for the A4. They said they wanted it to be progressive. And it really is. Because with this car, in my head, it's turned Audi into a company that seems to have realized that driving is a blast. Dare I say it, Audi may even have discovered the German equivalent of a playful streak.