The new Audi A4 and S4 range was given its international launch in Portugal last week. A select number of the UK’s top motoring journalists were invited to put the ranges through their paces on bespoke routes in the winter sunshine, in and around Lisbon.

Journalists were able to fully examine the new Audi A4 Saloon, Audi A4 Avant, Audi A4 allroad and the stand out Audi S4 Saloon with its feisty 333PS, 3.0 TFSI engine.

Feedback from the launch so far has been exciting. Autocar magazine gave the S4 four out of five stars, with reviewer Gavin Conway saying: “The latest S4 is a beautifully made piece that isn’t too ‘shouty’ about its performance… It feels, in the end, like a grown-up’s hot rod. And that’s a good thing.”

Conway calls the S4 ‘very classy’ and adds: “The S4’s interior remains a terrific place to spend time, with fabulously supportive seats and a deep sense of quality.”

And Conway is just as impressed with the car’s performance. “This car is still a totally convincing driver’s tool… the performance on offer is utterly addictive,” he writes. The car’s handling comes in for praise, too: “You can get the S4 to flow beautifully on a twisting stretch of mountain road, and steering feedback is particularly good.”