One sip at a time: 2017 Audi A4 Ultra is surprisingly good on gas

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Audi first applied the "Ultra" badge to a variant of its Euro-market A3. It was powered by a 1.6-liter diesel engine, achieved a whopping 73.5 mpg on the European cycle and would go more than 900 miles between fill-ups. Since diesel is a bit of a sore topic here (and everywhere), it's rolling out a new kind of Ultra for the US, and it's still pretty darn efficient.

Based on the 2017 Audi A4, the A4 Ultra is all about fuel efficiency. It features a revised version of its 2.0-liter gas engine that the EPA rates at 27 mpg city and 37 mpg highway. Audi was able to make this happen by raising the compression ration to 11.7:1 from 9.6:1. It's front-wheel-drive only, and the sole transmission is a seven-speed dual-clutch unit.

With its 27/37 rating, it trounces other cars in its segment. The BMW 320i only achieves 23/35, the Mercedes-Benz C300 is rated at 23/35 and even its most thrifty competitior, the Volvo S60 T5, hits just 25/36.

The A4 Ultra will be available in two trims, Premium and Premium Plus, which cost $34,900 and $38,700, respectively. You can still load it the hell up with fancy equipment like Audi's Virtual Cockpit and a 4G LTE modem with hotspot connectivity. Low-speed autonomous emergency braking is standard, as is three-zone climate control and LED ambient lighting.