We are parked on the side of the road--resting after a long hard drive up the hilly mountains of Antipolo.  You have to admit, we never really took a car this far away on unfamiliar roads on such short notice before, but hey, this road's known for its twisty curves and demanding uphill passes.  Normally this is the territory of big bikes and sports cars, weekend racers who want to experience the thrill of zipping up and down on relatively smooth tarmac.  This weekend, we're blurring the scenery in the Audi A4 1.8T Quattro.

The moniker sounds like a mouthful, especially for a German car.  But like the car it represents, it's direct to the point.  In terms of styling, it lacks some oomph--there's little to differentiate it with the run-of-the-mill front-driven 1.8T even down to the 17-inch alloy wheels.  Beneath the sheet metal though likes a chock full of technology--all centered to add driving thrills.  Owning a 3.2 million peso car equipped with a manual transmission may not seem like the best proposition to the 50-something executives who will lap these up, but that shortcoming diminishes the moment you enter the door.

Audis are generally known for their high build quality and excellent choice of materials, and the A4 1.8T Quattro's no different.  Soft plastics abound.  The overall feel may be a bit dated compared to the MMI equipped A6, A8 and TT, but it's nonetheless a pleasing cabin to be in.  Accommodations are adequate at best with the front passengers having space that barely passes for being comfortable.  Knee scraping especially next to the center console is a regular occurrence, even for those with median height.  The same goes for the rear passengers with just barely room for three adults.  Visual differences between the 1.8T and 1.8T Quattro are limited to the swapping of wood trim for aluminum in the inlays department and leather for Alcantara for the door trims.  The seats though, tell a different story.

Like the door trims, the seats are now covered in an Alcantara/leather combination with the front passengers benefiting from sport buckets with a 2-memory function.  We're not particular fans of the velvety Alcantara material, but they do help in giving additional back and bottom support during hard cornering--and they certainly look very racy.  Also adding to the sporty feel is the fat three-spoke steering wheel, which is, thankfully, not covered in the stuff.  It's however, typical Audi, so expect nice perforated and stitched leather.  Like any other German make, the buttons there are multi-functional, but it's preset for audio controls.  Another key in a proper sporting environment are good gauges, and the A4 1.8T Quattro has this as well.  Lit with electro-luminescent technology, it looks both traditional and high-tech at the same time.  The dials are large and easy to read, and unlike some other German cars, there are still analogue auxiliary gauges like temperature and fuel.  Of particular note is the large center colored LCD screen.

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