Getting it nearly word-perfect: Audi's new A4 sharpens up its image and takes the family smile.
How many car companies can boast a personal lexicon? An encounter with a car engineer will leave you in no doubt that they not only have a different lexicon to the rest of us, but often a different language.
However, what about the owners? Audi - those sweet-talking Teutons who brought us that soft, lilting expression, 'Vorsprung durch Technik' - offers a dictionary of Audi-isms on its US website.
Apparently "the Audi experience is about more than driving; it's also a way of talking and thinking." So there you have it. You always suspected your companions who drove Audis had ambitions towards being a little more posh and pretentious.
Admittedly, when you dig a little deeper into the lexicon, there are words such as 'seatbelt' and 'suspension', which, while merited, are not entirely unique to the Audi-owners' club. In life, it's not uncommon for social climbers to adopt new words and ways of talking in an attempt to change perceptions of them.
As with parents who trot their kids to expensive fee-paying schools miles from where they live, Audi simply wants its next generation of offspring to hang out with the right crowd in the car park, to mix with the likes of BMW and Mercedes, rather than constantly kick around with its rather common cousins at VW.
That's also why it has sharpened up its image, turning to the world's fashion capital, Milan, for smart new tailoring. Under the watchful eyes of Milanese designer Walter De' Silva, a new Audi look has been created.
De' Silva is an automotive artist, signing his work with a big 'mouthy' grille. For him the slivers of plastic with chrome surround represent the car's expression. Indeed, the modern fascination with gaping grilles - see Peugeot's 407 - can be attributed to De'Silva.
It's a look that takes time to sink in, yet you quickly grow to appreciate it. Park beside older A4 models and they look decidedly dated. This car has presence.
Yet this is much more than the simple facelift we had come to expect. In fairness we should have guessed as much by the antics at BMW. During the international launch of the A4 images of the upcoming 3-Series were leaked to the world, supposedly from a pre-printed brochure in Slovenia.
BMW denied any dirty tricks and announced an internal inquiry. The suspicion is that the leak was aimed to scupper publicity about the A4 relaunch.
Certainly the changes are more than simply a new grille. Inside the fit and finish has been brought up to A6 and A8 standards. While it may lack the flagship model's gadgetry, the look of the controls and the dashboard computer mimic those in the biggest Audi.
We tested the new 2-litre diesel version, which a spokesperson claimed is going to be the "big seller" here. We still reckon the 1.9-litre will hold its own, though the decision to scrap the two variants of it - the 100 bhp and 130 bhp - in favour of a single 115 bhp version may tempt some to opt for this new 140 bhp diesel.
In a like-for-like comparision, it's not the fastest on the diesel executive fleet, beaten by the likes of the BMW 320d and the Jaguar X-Type with its Ford 2-litre diesel engine. Yet it claims the fastest top speed, whatever that's worth.
Our greatest disappointment was the engine noise levels. Audi, for all its developments in design and upmarket interior trim, should have spent a little on sound insulation and engine refinement, for the diesel note is quite harsh even when the engine has warmed up.
In terms of handling, the A4 is the perfect motorway cruiser, weaves through town traffic with aplomb and handles suburbia without breaking into a sweat. On country roads it feels slightly out of sync. This could partly be down to the extra weight of the heavier diesel engine in our test car.
While it may lack a little sparkle in the twisting corners of a country road, once through the apex, the immediate injection of torque from the diesel engine devours any length of straight line at the flick of the ankle.
The 0 to 100km (62mph) sprint is accomplished in 9.7 seconds, but the bolt of power that strikes at about 1,500rpm could easily cause wheel spin if it were not for traction control. In second gear the take-off is exhilarating, and you can't help but be tempted to show its ability at traffic lights.
The downside, of course, is the same with all diesels: this surge is rather short-lived in terms of engine revs and you must regularly change gear to keep the excitement going. Thankfully the six-speed gearbox, with the stubby gearstick nestled at just the right height, and the relatively short-throw between gates, means it's a rather enjoyable chore.
The A4 will be a popular choice with those who keep a keen eye on fuel costs. On official figures, it claims decent fuel consumption when compared to its main rivals and we managed 7.2 litres per 100 km (39.3 mpg) over eight days.
One criticism of the previous model was that while it accommodated two on the backseat in comfort, a third person would prove its undoing. Now, however, three is no longer a crowd, provided it's a school run rather than an international rugby tour.
The car has increased slightly in all dimensions. The most noticeable difference is in the boot, where an extra 15 cubic litres has been added to an already class-leading cavern, while split folding rear seats increases the load space to an impressive 720 litres.
So, overall, a car that has the looks to cut it with the upper crust. Perhaps a little less time spent expanding the vocabulary of its owners and a little more on the accent of the new 2-litre diesel would have been worthwhile.
Time, perhaps for a new slogan: no longer vorsprung durch technik (advancement through technology) but vorsprung durch schönheit und wortfülle (advancement through good looks and verbosity).
