ALLROADS LEAD TO AUDI (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Audi's A6 allroad suits a very distinct kind of outdoorsy customer. Jonathan Crouch takes a look at the fifth generation version.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 124

It's hard to think of a better 'one car fits all' solution than Audi's A6 allroad quattro. It's presentable in any situation and as at home in the city as it is blasting across continents or slogging its way along dirt tracks. What's more, it'll do all this in any weather, in total comfort and with some style. That much we already knew about this model. This fifth generation version though, improves the concept further, with sleeker style, a classier cabin and the option of a PHEV drivetrain for the first time as an alternative to the six cylinder diesel that still suits this car perfectly. It is, in short, a smarter choice for those who need occasional off road traction and all-weather capability.

Backgroundword count: 238

The A6 allroad is the kind of car Audi does better than anyone else. Not that anyone else is doing this model any more - a large executive class rough track-capable luxury estate. Which in the case of the A6 allroad is now in its fifth generation. It's a genre Audi has had pretty much to itself since the original A6 allroad was introduced as a more capable take on the A6 Avant estate back in 2000. The initial idea was for a stop-gap model until the first generation Q7 SUV arrived. But customers liked the allroad concept and with subsequently A6 Avant generations, the A6 allroad reappeared, with an MK2 version in 2006, an MK3 in 2012 and an MK4 in 2019, seven years before launch of the fifth generation version we look at here. Only Mercedes has (rather half-heartedly) dabbled in this niche segment in this time (with the E-Class All-Terrain of 2017-2019). And you might wonder why Audi persists with it given that it currently has eight bespoke-designed SUVs in its model line-up. But the A6 allroad appeals to people with an outdoors lifestyle who don't want an SUV, but need something a little bigger more luxurious than they might get in, say, a Subaru Outback (a model which was more directly targeted by Audi's much less successful A4 allroad). So what's in store with this fifth generation A6 allroad? Let's take a closer look.

Driving Experienceword count: 401

For a quarter of a century, two things have definitively characterised the A6 allroad driving experience: adaptive air suspension and a big torquey six cylinder diesel engine. And both, as you would expect, are still very much a key part of the engineering of this fifth generation version. We'll start with the bespoke air suspension set-up, since that's what distances this allroad model from an ordinary six cylinder diesel A6 Avant (and from a cheaper AWD estate like a Subaru Outback). In this case, the system has two dedicated off-road settings, raising the car by 15mm to start with, then a further 20mm of lift is possible to cope with gnarlier tracks. For these, the driver can also engage the 'off-road+' drive mode which allows for extra slip and locks the differential more readily, while at the same time increasing shift points in the seven-speed auto transmission. It's all about as far as you can go in a car of this type without installing a low-range gearbox (which the first generation A6 allroad had as an option but which we haven't seen on any kind of Audi since). As for that six cylinder engine (the only six cylinder unit you can have in any A6), well it is of course Audi's usual 3.0 V6 TDI mild hybrid unit with 299PS and a lusty 580Nm of torque. The brand's 'MHEV plus' technology incorporating a belt alternator starter, a powertrain generator and an electric-powered compressor contributes an extra 24PS and 0-62mph needs just 5.4s. The TDI unit is a good fit for this allroad, but if you're not convinced, then you'll be interested to know that for this MK5 version, Audi is also offering a plug-in hybrid petrol model. With that e-hybrid variant, though there's only four cylinders you actually get more power - 367PS. And the 22kWh battery placed between the rear seats and the boot floor is supposed to be to provide enough energy for up to 63 miles of all-electric driving. As well as the silky air suspension system, both variants get a rear-wheel steering set-up that turns the rear wheels up to 5-degrees in the opposite direction to the fronts at up to 37mph; and they move the same direction as the fronts by up to 2-degrees at speeds above that. As usual with this kind of system, the result is tighter low-speed manoeuvring and more stable high-speed cornering.

To see the full road test text contact us on 0330 0020 227