Up Close: 2009 Audi A4

We first saw Audi’s next-generation A4 at last summer’s Frankfurt auto show (read the original post here) but it wasn’t until Detroit that Audi brought out a U.S.-spec model. At first glance, it seems to be one solid little car — the sport seats in the S-line version on the auto show floor were supportive but not stiff, and there’s a bit more room in back than I remember in the previous A4. Credit some of that to the ceiling, which has slight indentations above passengers’ heads before it meets the rear window.

The dashboard has the same contours as the A5, with a wide dome housing the navigation system and primary gauges. I’m not sold yet on Audi’s buttons (cue the hate mail). They’re finished in high-quality plastics and fit alongside one another with nary a gap, but they don’t click down with the same cushioned feel that the controls in a Lexus or Mercedes might. While we’re talking buttons, I’m glad Audi has added plenty of shortcut keys around the MMI knob, which should make it easier to use than some of the alternatives.