It’s been almost 10 years since an Audi model wearing the Allroad moniker has been available in the local market. With the introduction of the A4 Allroad, Audi’s South African arm looks to net buyers who want the gravel-road capability of a compact SUV but prefer the overall packaging afforded by the firm’s Avant models.
For those attempting to figure out where this model slides into the alphabet soup that is Audi’s extensive model line-up, the Allroad essentially replaces the outgoing A4 Avant (Audi parlance for station wagon). This pares Audi’s Avant offerings down to three categories: the entry-level Allroads, sporty S4 and the fire-breathing RS4. Audi also claims that the A4 Allroad will bridge the gap between the Q3 and Q5 in its line-up. That’s the model-positioning spiel, but who’s it aimed at and what do you get?
Audi has levelled the Allroad at the active-lifestyle set who need some additional lugging space but don’t require the outright off-road ability, and at times compromised dynamic traits, of an SUV. Given many buyers’ inclination towards compact SUVs, crossover station wagons are like hens’ teeth in the local market. Only the Subaru Legacy Outback and the ageing Volvo XC70 Cross Country are comparable in terms of packaging. Audi has previously come in for criticism regarding its often-miserly standard specification. To this end, Audi has fitted the Allroad with such features as cruise control, auto headlamps and wipers, Bluetooth and leather trim.
Stylistically, the Allroad is a more rugged take on the standard A4 Avant with such features as a revised version of the signature single-frame grille, lower body cladding, a series of chrome-effect accents on such components as the roof rails and side skirts and model-specific, 17-inch alloy wheels. The interior remains largely un- changed from that of most A4 Avants, as do the luggage and utility capacities of 490 and 1 430 dm3, respectively. Styling elements aside, the most prominent of the A4 Allroad’s features has to be the ride height, which has been raised from the standard Avant’s 142 mm to 180 mm. Stainless-steel under-body guard plates that offer some protection from tougher obsta- cles supplement this additional ground clearance to give the Allroad a usable degree of ability off the beaten track, provided you tread carefully. The A4 lacks the A6 Allroad’s adjustable air suspension, a system that would’ve lent it a bit more off-road ability but would possibly have seen it treading on the toes of the Q5.
The Allroad’s suspension has been tuned to accommodate the raised ride height and augments an updated Quattro all-wheel drivetrain with an ESP off-road protection system that modulates traction control to better compensate for challenging surfaces such as mud and gravel where too much stability control intervention can hamper proceedings.
The 2,0 TDI turbodiesel is a tried and tested unit, and while its outputs of 130 kW and 380 N.m may not look like much on paper, it proved torquey enough to make light work of propelling a heavy vehicle and is well matched with the dual-clutch transmission.
The raised ride height hasn’t negatively impacted on the ride quality, which remains pliant, nor does it hamper the car’s attitude through fast corners. The overall feel is typically A4: refined with little in the way of engine/road noise intrusion, weighty, if somewhat imprecise, steering and the slightly nose-heavy, understeery, but reassuringly predictable feel that accompanies most of Audi’s all-wheel-drive offerings – which is hardly a bad thing when you factor in the extremely high levels of grip afforded by the Quattro system.
Our time with the Allroad encompassed a good deal of gravel-roading and it didn’t disappoint. The fishtailing that often accompanies brisk driving on loose surfaces largely didn’t affect the Allroad, nor did sudden changes in road surface from tar to gravel unsettle it. Broadly speaking, there’s little to separate the Allroad’s driving manners from that of any of the more road-biased A4 models.
Test Summary
Perhaps the biggest challenge facing the A4 Allroad remains the vehicles that have lead to the wide-scale demise of the station wagon: compact SUVs. Our market’s preference for SUVs is under- standable, especially given the macho connotations they carry and their abil- ity to tackle tough terrain. In terms of ability off the beaten track, the Allroad still plays second fiddle to the compact SUV. But for those after a more car-like package that offers civilised road man- ners with enough dirt-road ability to suit most needs, the A4 Allroad could be worth a look.
