Audi A6 Allroad review
The Audi A6 Allroad is a rugged estate car that offers something different to the traditional SUV
The Audi A6 Allroad goes head to head with the Volvo XC70 and offers buyers something that can tackle mild off-roading without sacrificing a car-like driving experience. Based on the latest A6 Avant, the current allroad is lighter than its predecessor, but due to the quattro four-wheel drive hardware and the sheer size of the car its weight is still approaching two tonnes with a couple of passengers on board. Turn into a corner and you can feel the extra weight, plus more bodyroll thanks to the the taller suspension. The pay-off though is a wonderful cusioned ride from the air-suspension, which can rise up automatically in allroad mode. One petrol engine - a supercharged 3.0-litre V6 - is offered, but we'd go for one of a trio of 3.0-litre V6 diesels.
Our choice: A6 Allroad 3.0 TDI
Styling
The Allroad makeover is marginally more subtle this time around. There's less grey cladding around the wheel arches (you can also have them colour-coded to the bodywork at no extra cost) and stainless steel underbody guards at the front and rear plus a unique set of alloy wheels. The interior is beautifully designed and built and comes trimmed in Milano leather as standard and the Allroad gets bespoke badging and satellite navigation across the range.
Driving
Four-mode air-suspension delivers a wonderfully comfortable ride, while Audi's Drive Select system gets an extra 'allroad' mode which raises the ride height for off-roading. On the road you can feel the allroad's extra bulk in the corners, and body roll is more pronounced, but it's still a satisfying car to drive with grip to spare. The only petrol option is a 306bhp supercharged V6, although Audi's 3.0-litre V6 diesel comes in three states of tune - 202bhp, 242bhp and 309bhp - the latter with twin turbochargers. The 242bhp diesel is predicted to be the biggest sell and provides plenty of performance, ticking off 0-62mph in 6.6 seconds. The automatic gearbox is very smooth though and the grip on tarmac is impressive. However the Allroad is not as accomplished offroad as a proper high-riding SUV.
Reliability
The quattro four-wheel-drive system isn't all about tackling muddy paths and rutted lanes, it provides more stable and secure handling on the road in bad weather conditions too. It also features a raft of hi-end safety technology, such as radar-based cruise control to always keep you the proper distance from the car in front, and Lane Keep Assist to keep you the right side of the white lines however most of this equipment is optional. Even so the standard A6 Avant gets a five star rating from Euro NCAP so it should protection occupants very well indeed.
Practicality
The A6 Allroad is wider and longer than the car it replaces, so there's plenty of space inside. The 565-litre boot swells to 1,860-litres with the 60/40 split rear seats folded down - that's more than a BMW X5. The allroad is also 15mm taller than the standard A6 Avant so there's more headroom to play with in the front and back. Even so the relatively low ground clearance and fat road tyres mean the Audi is not as accomplished off-road as a similiarly priced Land Rover Discovery while we think the Volvo XC70 could probably give it a run for its money too.
Running Costs
The A6 Allroad has stop-start and brake energy recovery systems as standard, which help the 242bhp model return 44.8mpg and emit 165g/km of CO2. The most efficient version though is the 202bhp 3.0-litre TDI, which returns 46.4mpg and emits 159g/km. Servicing and parts will cost above average, this being an Audi, but residual values will be rock solid, especially considering the allroad's relative rarity. Still this model is siginificantly more expensive than the standard Quattro estate and at face value its hard to know why - especially considering the vast options list - you could easily sink another £10k into getting the trim right.
