AN ESTATEMENT OF TRACTION (some text hidden) SECTIONED_new_AudiA6quattro_2012

By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 130

It's hard to think of a better 'one car fits all' solution than Audi's A6 allroad quattro, which in 2012 became much more sophisticated in the third generation 'C7'-series guise we look at here. 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. Previous first and second generation A6 allroad models established this concept but this third generation version improved it further, with sleeker style, extra space, high-tech cleverness and greater efficiency from a mighty range of diesel engines. As a used buy, it's a smarter choice for those who need occasional off road traction and all-weather capability.

Modelsword count: 11

5dr Estate (3.0 TFSI petrol, 3.0 TDI diesel) / 3.0 BiTDI)

Historyword count: 423

Back in the year 2000 as the world struggled with the Millenium Bug, German prestige brand Audi was struggling with a lack of foresight. Having virtually pioneered four wheel drive in ordinary road cars with their clever quattro system, they'd failed to foresee just how popular it would prove to be in big, chunky SUVs. As a result, by the turn of the century, while rivals like BMW and Mercedes were racking up sales with X5s and M-classes, Ingolstadt was getting left behind, its own Q7 SUV still years away from launch. A stop-gap was needed - a car like this one, the Audi A6 allroad. The allroad was an Audi A6 Avant estate with clever air suspension for limited off road ability and a little more styling attitude. A simple enough idea you might think, except that at the time of this brilliantly executed model's launch, no one else had thought of it. This concept was continued with a second generation model in 2006 and further evolved with the MK3 version we look at here, launched in the Spring of 2012. By then, Audi had of course long since properly plugged the SUV-shaped gap in its line-up with Q3, Q5 and Q7 models. But by the 21st century's second decade, almost any brand could sell you an SUV. This A6 allroad, in contrast, remained a largely unique proposition, not properly copied by Mercedes or BMW until well in this 'C7' design's production run. Of course, the market has long offered slightly smaller SUV-style all-wheel drive estates than this: Subaru has been doing it for years and Audi launched its own A4 allroad model in 2009. But these models basically offer nothing more than plastic body cladding and a marginally higher ride height, this A6 allroad does the job properly, with an air suspension system able to raise the car height enough to give it real off road ability. Such has always been the A6 allroad's appeal, the car of choice for the clever few who realise they don't need a hulking great off roader for the style of sensible SUV-ness. And in third generation guise? Well, the recipe was further refined, with a more powerful range of more efficient 3.0-litre V6 engines and enough high technology to satisfy the most committed technophobe. The original 204 and 245PS versions of the 3.0 TDI engine were updated respectively to 215 and 268PS by 2014. This 'C7'-series A6 allroad model sold until late 2019, when it was replaced by a new fourth generation 'C8'-series version.

What You Getword count: 472

Just a glance at this third generation 'C7'-series A6 allroad is enough to confirm that things have come a long way from the rather crude plastic cladding that defined the look of the first generation version. Like the MK2 'C6'-series model, this one was a subtle evolution of the line - and a larger one too. To give you some idea of the scale of this thing, its extra 6mm of length over the previous C6 design upped the total length of this model to a fraction under five metres, enough to make it fully 150mm longer than a huge Range Rover Sport, so you might need to double check that it'll fit in your garage. In terms of height as well as length. This allroad, after all, sits 60mm higher than an ordinary 'C7'-series A6 Avant, but that of course isn't the only difference. The chrome effect grille is the first thing you'll notice. Then there are contrasting wheel arch extensions, which original owners could have painted in body colour if they really wanted to disguise this car's SUV-ness. A stainless steel underbody guard overlaps into revised front and rear bumpers and there are aluminium roof rails. The more important stuff though, is under the skin where use of aluminium for up to 20% of the body weight enabled this generation allroad to shed as much as 70kgs over the previous model. This MK3 model was lighter then, even if it was larger - and the extra size is something you'll appreciate jumping into the rear. Much of this design's additional 72mm of wheelbase was used for the benefit of back seat passengers who as a result enjoyed an extra 7mm more of head room. It's still a bench primary shaped for two adults, though three children will be quite comfortable. Behind lies a capacious 565-litre luggage bay that was 20-litres bigger than that of the previous model. Should more space be needed, you can flip the rear seats down to access up to 1,680-litres. Up front, the seats are 20mm further apart than they were in the previous generation version: it's much as you'd find in a conventional A6 Avant - which is certainly no bad thing. The build quality is typically impeccable, from the leather work on the seats to the attention to detail of the damped handles and covers. The piano black trim parts have even been treated with a UV-resistant coating to keep them from fading in fierce sunlight. Most of the minor controls are gathered on and around the steering wheel and it's all surprisingly easy to use given the complexity of this car's systems. The MMI infotainment system improves in its user friendliness with each generation and features a pop-up screen which is bigger and clearer than before and allows for a sleeker dashboard profile.

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