Audi A4 Ultra Boasts Segment-Best 31 mpg

Audi AG says its new A4 Ultra small car will be the most fuel-efficient luxury sedan in the U.S., with a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rating of 31 mpg (28 mpg city/37 mpg highway).

This beats the 29-mpg EPA rating for the runner-up Volvo S60 T5. The standard A4 gets 28 mpg (25 city/33 highway), equaling the ratings of two of its key rivals: the BMW 320i and Mercedes-Benz C300.

Due this autumn, the 2017 model will mark Audi’s first use of “Ultra” badging in the U.S. The company has used the designation on diesel models in Europe for several years.

The A4 Ultra gets a reworked version of the base model’s 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. Tweaks include a revised combustion system and a higher compression ratio (11.7:1 compared with 9.6:1). Power also has been detuned by 25% to 190 hp, and torque slips 14% to 236 lb-ft. As a result, zero-to-60 mph acceleration is a full second slower at 7.1 seconds.

The front-wheel-drive Ultra won’t offer an all-wheel-drive option. And only one transmission will be available: a 7-speed dual-clutch unit.