The fresh-faced Audi A4L launched in the Chinese market at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center on Saturday, once again raising the bar for its segment.

At the event, high-power and lower-power versions of the Audi A4L were released, and there are a total of six models to meet users' diverse demands. The automaker indicated that the prices will range from 299,800 yuan ($44,882) to 412,800 yuan.

Highly anticipated, the new Audi A4L brings to the Chinese luxury mid-size segment a car that is full of high-tech charm, thanks to its trendsetting design aesthetics, optimized and upgraded engines, market-leading smart technology and high-quality luxury beyond its peers.

"With over four decades of product evolution, the Audi A4, which is such a fantastic model, has always been a dream car for its users," said Dietmar Voggenreiter, board member for sales and marketing of Audi AG.

"The all new Audi A4L will definitely become a new 'dream car', and will once again set a new standard in the premium mid-size market," Voggenreiter said.

The A4 has become a favorite in its segment, and nearly 800,000 have been sold in China since the Audi A4 (B6) was put into domestic production in 2003. Worldwide the popular model has 12 million users.

"While inheriting all the good qualities of earlier models, the all-new Audi A4L breaks through the boundaries of its class. It reaches unprecedented new heights in terms of luxury, intelligent technology and other aspects, and sets new standards for the luxury mid-size market. It brings to life the meaning of 'making change'," said Jing Qingchun, executive deputy general manager of FAW-VW Audi Sales Division.

The star model is not only an important carrier of the Audi brand's rejuvenation, but also more comprehensively displays the latest achievements of FAW-VW Audi in the localization of its whole value chain. Its launch marks the localized models of FAWVW Audi beginning a new round of product replacements, technological upgrades and competitiveness improvements.

"The model represents the next stage in the A4's success story. Equipped with 10 technological innovations and over 40 revolutionary upgrades both inside and outside, it takes the model to a new level," said Michael-Julius Renz, president of FAW-Volkswagen Audi Sales Division.

The Audi A4L has been comprehensively renewed from the inside out, highlighting the luxury quality and technological strength of FAW-VW Audi, and the brand is confident it will continue to occupy the leadership position in the luxury mid-size car market, bringing users an all-new driving experience "beyond their expectations".

The Audi A4L is developed from Volkswagen's MLB evo platform, which takes the car's quality to new heights. Thanks to the intelligent combination of materials and a new lightweight structure, the body weight of the Audi A4L has been reduced by 65 kilograms, while its size has been increased significantly. The fully optimized aerodynamics helps ensure the in-car noise levels are library-level silent, while reducing the air resistance of the car body and enhancing its fuel economy.

The Audi A4L features a rich electronic technology configuration and the most extensive driving assistance systems among models in its class. It fully embodies the trend of digitization and connectivity. The unique virtual cockpit is equipped with a 12.3-inch full LCD instrument panel. Through its flexible 3-D information display, it can integrate all the vehicle and road-related information in front of the driver's eyes.

Chinese handwriting input is available with the multimedia infotainment system, based on the Audi Modular Infotainment Platform II, which is compatible with Apple CarPlay.

The all new Audi A4L is also equipped with a new B&O 3-D sound system, which has 19 high-performance loudspeakers, for accurate sound reproduction and a sensational listening experience for occupants.

The Audi A4L uses a very attractive new design language and trendsetting linear aesthetics. It has won a number of international top design awards, including the 2016 Red Dot Award and the 2016 iF Product Design Award.

The iconic single frame grille boasts its unique identification; the "lightning"-shaped matrix LED headlights and the unforgettable "undercut" tail lights echo each other at a distance; the waistline passing throughout the car body highlights both its sportiness and elegance.

haoyan@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 09/13/2016 page15)