Diesel Blitz

The C vs 3 vs A4 battle is one of motoring’s great contests - the resolutely German conflict for supremacy in the entry luxury segment. It’s a booming market and with room for all three to coexist, even with the influx of more brands, but it’s the prestige issue - each wants to be at the top of the pile and for long it has been the BMW 3-series standing on the top rung of the ladder.

The 3-series and its compatriots, the Mercedes-Benz C-class and Audi A4 are cars that have shaped the way we perceive luxury sedans which is why it’s such an important segment. The oodles of euros, long hours and manpower expense in DTM (Mercedes and Audi) and in WTCC (BMW) count for nothing if they do not reflect healthy sales figures. Nobody is here for philanthropy and the ‘win on Sunday, sell on Monday’ credo would be just empty words if cash registers do not ring corresponding increments. In this day and age of cut-throat competition, the business end is what calls the shots.

For you and me though, it’s a well nigh perfect scenario. Competition keeps things honest and evolves the breed. BMW, for instance, wrought changes to the 3-series (revised suspension settings, new trim levels and brand new engine too on MY08) within just a year of coming to India. Towards the end of the year the face-lifted 3-series (previewed in the motoring news section) will also be available in India.

Mercedes-Benz rules the roost in the luxury segment but can not be complacent with BMW snapping at its heels. It introduced the all-new C-class, a surefire poser’s delight with all the subtlety worthy of a luxury sedan and it has met with tremendous response. The missing link in the German trinity, Audi was around in the market but in this segment the previous generation A4 just didn’t cut the mustard; it wasn’t attention grabbing nor was it a great drive nor at the cutting edge either. When you’re signing a seven-digit cheque, it’s only fair to want the very latest.

Not for nothing though is Audi the fastest growing of the German trinity and, as we said in our road test last month, in the eighth generation A4, the 3-series and C-class have a serious rival. How serious? Let’s find out.

Although the A4 is longer, lower and wider than its predecessor and exudes a distinct sporty aura, the shape is unmistakably Audi. With its aggressive lines, striking ‘string of pearls’ LED daytime running lamps and chisselled muscular shoulders, the pendulum sure swings in its favour. The eighth incarnation of the A4 has possibly the best interpretation yet of the goatee grille but it’s the ‘string of pearls’ which gives the car the head-turning ability. The new A4’s styling is distinctive but not brash or bling and perfectly illustrates how Audi is winning over new customers with its new design language. Flowing yet strong lines create a dynamic look while the gentle curve of the shoulder makes for an alluring profile. The A4 exudes unmistakably sports car aura owing to the ratio of window area to undercarriage and combines sportiness and elegance in an exciting symbiosis. In broad view, the complex geometry emanates dynamic posture of a sprinter, all strength and power. While the earlier A4 epitomised understated sophistication, the eighth generation A4 is a knockout.


The solid feel is borne out by the A4’s tight shut lines and firmly shutting doors. The stretched bonnet, gentle curve of the shoulder line, horizontal styling of the rear end or trapezoidal single-frame radiator grille, are distinctive details that embody an emphatically sporty character.

The new Merc C-class is quite a looker and has all the right mini-S-class styling cues. In fact, while on the S the flared wheel arches look a little overdone, on the C the execution is just perfect. It’s a big departure from the old C that was soft in terms of appearance. The crouching stance with its arcing belt line and stretched bonnet lines make for a bold shape, while the massive slatted grille, angular headlamps and longer wheelbase give it formidable road presence that was missing in the model it has replaced. In fact with the Avant Garde version which Mercedes will bring to India very soon, the sporty quotient gets ramped up even further thanks to the big three-pointed star being integrated into the grille. In that trim it can even give the 3-series a run for its money as far as aggression is concerned.