Most of the time, when you live slightly left of centre, it’s noticeable. Lifestyle choices are obvious, fashion choices announce themselves, and the cafes you go to tend to be of the hipster variety. Non-conformity usually results in standing out.

Brilliance, also usually results in standing out. Some of the greatest minds of all time have all been particularly recognisable (Nikola Tesla and his moustache, Albert Einstein and the hairstyle he adopted towards the latter half of his life, for example). Anything that’s particularly smart will mark themselves out, sometimes by accident, sometimes intentionally. But fade into the background, they rarely do.

When we look at cars though, it gets a little muddled. Sometimes the loudest, most eye-catching options aren’t necessarily the best options out there. Alfa Romeos are a great example of looks not strictly translating into much else, while Skodas are a prime embodiment of the opposite. Both brands failed to perform in our market, which is even weirder. Push further upmarket, and it seems almost like you have to buy a Mercedes-Benz or a BMW, just like your neighbour, to announce your success to the world.

If you think about the compact saloon segment, your mind would have probably started floating around the BMW 3-Series or the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. The former now less flashy, both cars are as ubiquitous around town as potholes and MRT construction. Neither are without their foibles however, yet the bulk of newly-minted executives will find themselves in the showrooms of either marque, being tended by salespeople that know exactly how to pander to their egos and recently-inflated incomes.

This leaves little room for the car we’re looking at, the Audi A4. With the latest-generation joining the ranks on our shores relatively recently, the A4 hasn’t been making much of a mark on the roads (not nearly as much as the previous-generation model did, the car credited for bringing LED daytime running lights to the fore). In fact, so popular was the last-generation car, that the new one runs foul of looking a lot like the model it replaces; Most of the people we asked during our stint with it were somewhat surprised to discover it was actually all-new.

That’s the thing about Audi, though. They believe in progress, in evolution, taking a strong baseline and working with that, continuously improving on solid foundations into something brilliant. The A4 is a perfect example of that, with the new generation designed and engineered to address some of the issues people raised with the old car, while elevating the overall Audi-ness of the experience by throwing enough tech at it to put it smack-bang in the middle of the market.

Has it worked?

While the old car was never one to fade into the background (especially in S-Line trim that so many Malaysian buyers opted for), the new car seems to have matured. Tested in mid-spec 2.0TFSI guise (above the 1.4TFSI entry-level model, but below the Quattro range-topper), the overall treatment adopted by Audi means the A4 will appeal more to a matured, sensible buyer rather than a young-gun with too much money. Look closer and details begin to announce themselves, like the progressive-LED indicators at the rear, and the sharper trapezoidal grille up front (flanked by sharper headlights, which can be specced up to Matrix LED units should you want them). The wheels on this trim look particularly small though, which doesn’t help the A4’s case in marking itself out of a crowd.

In silver especially, the A4 blends well into the corporate carpark, much less so loudly-coloured Bimmers and chintzy Mercs. If anyone has ever levelled at Mercedes that their cars look broadly similar, they have clearly never seen an Audi. If you’re trying to make out like you’re more flush than you are, the A4’s larger dimensions (in every way bigger than the car it replaces, except in height) can leave some thinking it’s actually the larger A6. The cabin pulls a similar stunt, with plush materials and particularly smart finishings imbuing the passenger cell with a degree of luxury that the segment isn’t known for.

Audi does this very well, and it has for a while. Described as a ‘new-generation’ of cabin design (seen first on the TT, and then the Q7), the A4’s interior doesn’t use faux-anything. The metal you see and touch is real, as is the leather. From a drivers’ perspective, everything you interact with reacts with a degree of finesse and refinement that pleases without fail, and that’s definitely something that’ll impress first-time premium buyers. Space is pretty generous too, with all seats enjoying decent leg- and headroom, with only the rear-centre passenger given the right to grumble due to a high central tunnel (to accommodate the all-wheel drive that only the flagship A4 gets), though that can be said of any car in this segment.

What also impresses is the A4’s mechanical refinement, out on the road. You won’t hear much of the drivetrain unless you’re really gunning it, which is when you’re treated to a smooth note from the 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine up front. Putting out 190hp and 320Nm, the performance figures won’t set your heart on fire, as suggested by the 7.3-second century sprint time. But on the move, the A4 will soon have you realise that not everything is about going quickly, as it focuses more on giving you smooth progress rather than get the hairs on your neck standing.

The overall quietness of the A4 is nothing short of astounding, with very little noise intrusion by way of road- or wind-noise. The A4 boasts impressive aerodynamic properties, which undoubtedly contribute to the lack of noise in the cabin. Prime example of this can be seen in the wing mirrors, mounted on the body rather than at the base of the A-pillar to let it cut through the air better. This also helps the A4 gain a leg over the competition by way of efficiency, with the new car returning no more than 8.0L/100km during our 4-day stint with it, which included rush-hour crawls, a sprint up Genting, and everything in between.

And if you think that with the A4’s focus on efficiency and comfort has left it with the driving experience of a queen-sized bed, you’re dead wrong. The 2.0TFSI comes with adaptive chassis control as standard, which means you can flick the A4 from ‘Comfort’ or ‘Auto’ (where most owners are predicted to spend their time in) to ‘Dynamic,’ which sharpens the throttle response, puts the 7-speed double-clutch gearbox at attention, and weights up the steering wheel. While retaining the impressive refinement, suddenly the A4 becomes a darty, point-and-squirt machine that capitalises on its reserve of low-end torque, and will see you pushing past traffic on the motorway with ease.

That said, this is no 3-Series. While most modern cars suffer from a lack of communication through the steering wheel, the A4 feels extra dead, with no information coming through the rim of the steering wheel. The front-driven A4 displays the typical bias towards understeer, expected in this class, while always quietly suggesting that it shouldn’t really be driven like this. The A4 focuses more on comfort, and even in Dynamic, the A4 is still amazingly comfortable.

See, the A4 isn’t about setting your heart on fire. In the job you’d have to have to afford a car like this, you’d have little time left in your busy week to be hooning up driving roads like your arse is on fire. You’d be spending most of your time on urban streets and motorways, where a quiet, comfortable ride will reward more than a ‘connected’ one that will see you fidget in your seat more often than you thought possible. The same can be said of the cabin design and presentation, which focuses more on ergonomics and day-to-day ease of use than being flashy and jaw-dropping. Where the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class will wow you in the showroom, the A4 will impress you further down the line, with things like the proximity-sensing climate controls and brilliantly-clear central drivers’ information display (nestled between a couple of neat old-school dials) bringing a smile to this writer towards the end of the test.

While there are other cars on the market that will shine in specific situations, the A4 displays competence in doing the daily grind, and there’s a logic to that. We have little doubt in our mind that while its competitors may make neighbours’ curtains twitch, the Audi A4 will deliver its driver and passengers in more comfort than anything else out there. 

Slightly-left of centre though the A4 maybe, this latest model certainly proves itself to be a worthy challenger that’s slowly making its way to centre-field. Munich and Stuttgart ought be worried, because Ingolstadt’s making its moves.

Technical specifications, B9 Audi A4 2.0TFSI:

• 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine
• 190hp, 320Nm, front-wheel driven
• Seven-speed wet-clutch dual-clutch automatic
• Six airbags
• Electronic stability control
• Brake-assist, with multi-collision brake assistance
• 10-speaker audio system, and Audi MMI Radio plus
• LED headlights with dynamic range adjustment
• 10 exterior colour choices
• Tri-zone climate control
• Rear sun blinds
• Adaptive chassis control
• Progressive rear indicators
• Interior illumination package
• Leather upholstery
• Electric front seats

• RM248,900 before insurance costs
• 5-year, unlimited-mileage warranty