THE deck is loading in the executive car market and Audi is about to play a trump card.

A new A4 will be on the road in November and it's the most refined yet.

With BMW revamping the 3 Series, Mercedes bolstering the C-Class line up and Jaguar hitting the scene with its new XE sports saloon the competition has never been stiffer.

Audi's response is the all-new A4 that is bigger inside and out, has a range of astonishingly economical engines and can be packed with technology.

In fact the A4 is a car which can almost look after itself with a predictive drive mode that uses GPS, radar and cameras to steer a safe line in traffic.

There's more high tech magic too. Using sat nav data the A4 can work out the lie of the road ahead and configure the car for optimum efficiency.

It can even react automatically to changing speed limits while another system stops the car turning across oncoming traffic.

Big brother or must-have technology? Well Audi drivers are the sort who like to be ahead of the game and for the £1,250 the predictive equipment costs it's likely to be a no brainer.

They will also probably be prepared to splash out an extra £1,350 for a head up display and what Audi calls the virtual cockpit which replaces the conventional instruments with a 12.8-inch high definition screen that can be configured in many a way - even to show a giant map and navigation instructions.

Such equipment is among many features out of Audi's bigger models that are making their way on to the new A4 - the fifth generation of the car that has been the brand's core model since 1994.

Compared to the previous model the new A4 is an inch longer and slightly wider but it's nearly 10 per cent lighter and the body - although still very recognisable as an A4 - is very slippery making it the most aerodynamic of the four models vying to be top dog in the so called compact executive saloon class.

While the most potent of the new A4s - a 3.0-litre V6 diesel capable of 0 to 60 in just 5.3 seconds - now produces less CO2 than a Ford Fiesta did only a few years ago, Audi has really upped the ante when it comes to fuel economy.

There's a new 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine in the line up plus a 2.0-litre diesel now with tax free emissions of 99g/km matching the levels achieved by the new 3 Series and the Jaguar XE.

In this league the A4 is the odd one being front wheel drive and Audi is kicking off the new line up at £25,900 with a 1.4-litre TFSI petrol model replacing the previous generation's 1.8 petrol offering.

Boosted to 150ps the 1.4-litre A4 is good for 130mph and with a sub nine second 0 to 60 acceleration time it lacks little.

Audi claims an official fuel return of 53.3 to the gallon and it managed a shade under 42mpg on our drive where it demonstrated it had more than enough power to make the A4 perform.

It is available only with a six speed manual box and comes in entry level SE and new mid-grade SE trim where it costs from £26,850.

As such it comes with sat nav, keyless operation, xenon headlights and a triple zone climate system. Integration of smartphone features is also taken care of and the new A4 comes with a wireless phone charging pad concealed in the centre console.

The high specification S line models start from £30,150 for a 2.0-litre petrol turbo and top out at £38,950 for the 3.0-litre quattro diesel with an eight speed auto transmission.

As well as the 1.4-litre A4 we also tried out the super-economical 2.0-litre Ultra diesel model as well as the powerful V6 diesel and a 2.0-litre quattro turbo.

Given their performance all were quite remarkable on the fuel front with the 190ps Ultra engine showing an average of 55mpg. Officially it's rated a 72.4 to the gallon but even so no-one is going to complain at that real world figure.

The Ultra engine is likely to be the mainstay of the new A4 line up and it is priced from £31,000 in Sport trim where it has a company car tax banding of 18 per cent thanks to its CO2 output of 102g/km.

It moves as well with a 0 to 60 time of 7.7 seconds and a maximum of 130mph and overall it is streets ahead of its rivals.

On the road the new A4 is much better behaved than before and the quattro cars are absolutely sure footed.

Noticeable improvements include the feel of the steering and the reduction of noise inside with the A4 now being satisfyingly refined on the move.

The cabin is bigger all round especially in the rear where there is more leg room. Boot capacity remains unchanged at 480 litres which matches that offered by the BMW and the Mercedes and is bigger than the XE.

Technology has also found a home at the back of the A4 where it is fitted with sensors to warn of crossing traffic when reversing or a potential hazard such as a cyclist approaching when passengers are about to open the back doors.

The dashboard is now centred on an eight-inch display screen which sits above an array of touch sensitive control buttons - just hover your finger over them and they work - while the air vents now stretch right across the facia.

It is all very classy and the new A4 is a totally complete package, true to all of the qualities which now make the German premium brand so desirable.

What this new model brings to the party is a blast of technology never before seen in cars of this ilk and that alone is going to win it a lot of fans.