ALLROADS LEAD TO AUDI (some text hidden) SECTIONED_new_audia4allroad_2017

By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 87

If you're looking for a premium-badged compact executive estate and like the idea of an all-wheel drive Audi A4 Avant with extra road presence and enhanced ability in slippery conditions, then the German's brand's second generation A4 allroad model could well appeal. It'll also suit those who appreciate the virtues of a plush mid-sized premium SUV but don't really like the thought of being seen in one. There are certainly more affordable and more capable SUV-orientated estates in this segment. But there are few more desirable ones.

Modelsword count: 14

5dr Estate (2.0 TFSI petrol / 3.0 TFSI petrol / 2.0 TDI, 3.0 TDI))

Historyword count: 477

Buying an SUV always smacks of using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. It's fair enough to want your family car to be able to tackle snowy roads, muddy carparks and icy February country back doubles, but is it really necessary to buy something capable of crossing the Serengeti to do it? Of course, most modern 4x4s would get stuck fairly early on into your average desert, but they still carry far more technology than is required to cope with such modest expectations. Which is why a car like this one, Audi's second generation A4 allroad, would seem to make a lot more sense. Audi's allroad concept was always pretty straightforward. Take one of their standard quattro all-wheel drive Avant estates, then give it a bit of extra ride height and some body cladding to protect the bodywork (or more likely, to remind the neighbours what you've bought). That and a few electronic tweaks are enough to make the car suitable for mild off road use. We're not talking about rock-strewn mountainsides or extreme wilderness river crossings here but the kind of unmade roads and muddy tracks that owners might encounter and which might damage an unmodified vehicle. Audi has been perfecting the concept since the turn of the century, initially with the large A6 allroad model that took on large Executive sector offroad estates like Volvo's XC70. Clever height-adjustable air suspension always made that A6 surprisingly able on the rough stuff but this slightly more compact A4 allroad model didn't need it in the wider, slightly more affordable sector of the market where it sat. Here, it was a plusher alternative to tough all-wheel drive estates like Subaru's Forester and Volkswagen's Passat Alltrack and had a heritage going back to the original A4 allroad model, launched back in 2009. Over 100,000 examples of that car were sold, a number large enough to prompt Audi into taking a bit more trouble with this second generation version, launched in mid-2016. There was still no air suspension or any sort of real wilderness capability but a few key changes did allow this car to meet its limited remit a little more capably. For example, there was more suspension travel and an 'Off Road' mode you could activate in the 'drive select' system that focuses the electronics for 'off piste' use. Perhaps more significantly, this car got a completely new on-demand 'quattro with ultra technology' 4WD system that was significantly more efficient than the old permanently activated set-up. Plus on top of this, customers also got all the impressive technology of the fifth generation A4 Avant model this allroad variant was based upon, that car granting this one lighter weight, a classier cabin and hi-tech media connectivity. The MK2 allroad was facelifted along with the rest of the A4 range in 2019. And in that updated form, sold until mid-2022.

What You Getword count: 557

You can see why quite a few A4 Avant buyers opted to find the relatively small premium necessary to upgrade themselves into an A4 allroad model. It obviously wasn't to go off road: Audi rightly reckoned that hardly any of them would ever do that. Instead, the allure has much to do with image. The aesthetic changes made to create this allroad bodystyle may be subtle, but they're undeniably effective in giving this car a little more streetside presence. Raising the tailgate reveals that this MK2 A4 allroad model's extra 25mm of length has freed up 15-litres more boot space than was on offer with the previous generation model, the total rising to 505-litres. That figure still left this Audi some way short of potential rivals like Volkswagen's Passat Alltrack and Subaru's Forester, but it was significantly more than original buyers could get from other class competitors like Volvo's V60 Cross Country and Peugeot's 508 RXH. A4 allroad buyers needing more space will value the versatility of a 40:20:40 split-folding rear backrest, the centre part of which is very useful if you need to carry longer items like skis. Flattening the seat reveals up to 1,510-litres of space, plus there are the usual optional rail systems and load organisers. There's no additional carriage capacity beneath the boot floor, but that's because, refreshingly, Audi provided you with a spare wheel, rather than one of those irritating tyre inflation kits. The exterior of this car may have been subtly adorned with rugged styling cues, but there are few of these to be found inside. Instead, there's lots of vulnerable carpet, leather and decorative aluminium that's going to be a long way from practical if you plan on regularly loading in muddy dogs and children. Still, we think it unlikely that many potential buyers will mind very much. Quite the contrary in fact. As ever with Audi, it's the at-the-wheel experience that'll probably really sell you this car. The Ingolstadt brand isn't as far ahead of its rivals as it used to be in terms of interior ambiance but this remains the defining cabin in its class from its period, with surprising headroom, a wraparound design and a premium feeling of space and safety. The optional 'Virtual Cockpit' that most original buyers chose replaces the entire instrument binnacle with a 12.3-inch LCD colour monitor and has a layout that's fully digital and customisable, with smart 3D graphics and highly detailed effects. Anything this set-up can't tell you will almost certainly be covered by the slimline MMI infotainment display that dominates the top of the dashboard. It's 7-inches in size on standard models - or 8.3-inches if the original buyer opted for the top 'MMI Navigation Plus with MMI touch' system, with its crisp 3D maps and responsive Nvidia graphics. And in the rear? Well once inside, you ought in theory to quickly notice the benefit of the extra 12mm of wheelbase length this MK2 model A4 allroad enjoys over its predecessor. Audi said there was 23mm more legroom in the back than there was before but to be frank, it doesn't feel that much bigger. Still, three adults are very rarely carried at the back of this kind of car and two will be as comfortable as it's possible to be in a compact executive estate model of this sort.

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