Audi’s A4 has played third fiddle to the BMW 3-Series and Mercedes-Benz’ C-Class for as long we all can remember,

You must look closely to discover the details in the new A4 design.

Audi hates to hear this, but the C and 3 out-sell the A4 by a ratio of 2:1 in Canada. (BTW, last year for the first time ever, the C-Class bested the 3-Series, 9,992 to 9590. Changing of the guard? For the record, Audi Canada sold 5,461 A4s.)

Mercedes and BMW are the heavyweights among German compact premium cars and for good reasons, the most important of which is this: while the A4 shares its platform or basic mechanical underpinnings with a Volkswagen, the 3 and the C are stand-alone models; neither shares its existence with a people’s car brand.

The A4’s new interior is the benchmark for the car industry, in fact. The fit, finish, build quality and materials are splendid.

Audi and VW types, of course, insist that The A4 is a pure sports luxury sedan in its own right. They point to Audi’s independent management and the Audi-only factories, product development teams, designers and engineers in Ingolstadt, Germany – far away from VW headquarters in Wolfsburg.

All true. Audi has its own board, its own CEO, its own designers, engineers, assembly line workers and even its own employee orchestra. Yes, orchestra; I’ve attended a rehearsal, in fact. (Alas, independence has a price. The Audi brand is ranked below the VW brand in the latest J.D. Power Initial Quality Study.)

The “virtual cockpit” digital instrument cluster must be experienced to believe. Here Audi has given us high-resolution digital gauges powered by an Nvidia processor. So long, analog gauges.

That said, the new version of the A4 – a lovely and quiet technological marvel – rides on the VW Group’s second-generation MLB platform toolkit. It’s a global corporate thing, of course, and parts/platform sharing helps explain why Audi has about half the number of employees as BMW and Mercedes.

The good news is that this platform is about 45 kg lighter than the 2016 A4 architecture for front-drive models, 30 kg for all-wheel drive cars. Weight loss? The five-link front and rear suspensions have more aluminum and lighter components, and that’s a good thing here.

Why? Despite slimming down, this A4 is stronger, more robust. Thus, the car is quieter and the driver responses are sportier. This A4 dances at the touch of the

Audi is leading the German way in simplifying the infotainment system interface.

thick steering wheel, going here and there gracefully with your inputs. The ride is firm, but not hard, which is a departure from past A4s which felt soft compared to the C and especially the 3.

The news gets better. The new gearbox is a lightning-quick seven-speed dual clutch transmission – for both AWD and FWD cars. Snap-snap-snap, it moves from ratio to ratio, up and down, precisely when called upon.

Power for the revamped 2.0-litre, turbocharged four-cylinder engine is up, too: 15 per cent more horsepower,

The simplified MMI (Multi Media Interface) requires fewer prompts and commands. A standard control wheel with a touch pad allows you to draw letters for entering search words or addresses.

six per cent more torque than the old 2.0-litre mill. At 252 hp/273 lb-ft of torque, this engine is more muscular than the turbo four-bangers in the BMW 328i (241 hp/258 lb-ft) and Mercedes-Benz C300 (241 hp/273 lb-ft).

The Audi’s engine is so lively, most will believe there’s a healthy V-6 under the hood. But no, it’s a fairly thrifty four-cylinder (litres/100 km): 9.8 city/7.7 hwy using premium unleaded.

This new A4 is a dynamite product and it’s being sold through a dealer network in Canada that boasts some of the newest stores in the country, operated by some of the savviest dealers anywhere – dealers who boast extremely high customer services numbers. Audi and its dealers understand the brand-building exercise and they cater to it, dutifully.

They must. Most Audi owners and shoppers know all about the deep VW connection. Indeed, the German news magazine Der Spiegel this week is reporting that Audi chief Rupert Stadler might yet get roped into the emissions crisis that’s engulfed parent Volkswagen AG.

Witnesses inside the company are reportedly saying Stadler, head of Audi for about a decade, knew about the cheating since almost the day he joined the VW Group board in 2010. This is big; Stadler is a VW Group star and Audi is VW’s largest profit engine.

The back seating area is tight for adults.

The VW mess – 11 million vehicles, record fines, global recalls, lawsuits — is getting messier. Already, Audi development chief Ulrich Hackenberg has been forced out and his replacement, Stefan Knirsch, has been relieved and placed on leave, pending further investigation.

Audi’s dealers and officials at Audi Canada say their customers are loyal and the Audi brand have not been badly impacted by the black cloud of a global diesel scandal. Indeed, Audi Canada’s sales are up 14.6 per cent this year.

But wealthy consumers buy brands, not just products. The Audi brand is a gem at risk of being tarnished by the broader problems at the VW Group.

That said, the new Audi products, like the A4, are excellent. The A4’s new interior is the benchmark for the car industry, in fact. The fit, finish, build quality and materials are splendid.

New technologies such as the 12.3-inch “virtual cockpit” digital instrument cluster must be experienced to believe. Here Audi has given us high-resolution digital gauges powered by an Nvidia processor. So long, analog gauges. The full-colour head-up display is both useful and delightful, too.

Moreover, Audi is leading the German way in simplifying the infotainment system interface. The simplified MMI (Multi Media Interface) requires fewer prompts and commands. A standard control wheel with a touch pad allows you to draw letters for entering search words or addresses.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto? Of course. The safety gear available includes a rearview camera, crash preparation system, collision warning and emergency auto brake. You will use and value the adaptive cruise control, without a doubt – perhaps even the lane-keeping assistance and left-turn collision avoidance stuff, too.

The car’s weakness is the exterior design. Good luck spotting the differences between the 2017 A4 and the 2016. That’s shocking, coming from a brand which in recent years has produced so many wonderful designs. R8, anyone?

Design matters, even for those playing third fiddle.

2017 AUDI A4 TECHNIK

THE LOOK: The 2017 A4 looks too much like the 2016. Hard to believe, but true.

THE DRIVE: Lively and responsive, yet buttoned-down and substantial. Quiet at highway speeds, in particular.

THE NUTS AND BOLTS: The new A4 rides on the VW Group’s second-generation MLB platform toolkit. The engineers say they’ve done wonders and they’re being truthful. But this Audi shares is core basics with the VW Group. The electronic bits are industry-leading.

THE CABIN/STORAGE: The cabin has lots of space for the front two, but like all the cars in this class, rear seating is tight.

THE BRAND: The Audi brand is certainly on the upswing, though it faces threats from being associated with the larger VW Group’s problems.

WHY BUYS? Professionals who want a German car, but not a BMW or Mercedes.

Price: $50,600. As tested: $60,385.

Powertrain: 2.0-litre I4, turbocharged (252 horsepower, 273 lb-ft of torque).

Drive: front-wheel.

Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic.

Fuel economy (litres/100 km): 9.8 city/7.7 hwy using premium unleaded.

Comparables: Jaguar XE, BMW 3-Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Infiniti Q50, Lexus IS, Volvo S60, Cadillac ATS.