LIKE all Audis in the current range, the A6 Allroad has a very sleek and solid look about it.
It wouldn’t win any beauty contests, but does stand out (in a dark colour) thanks to the extra chrome ‘bling’ on the front and rear.
The interior is well laid out, with plenty of space, so you don’t feel cramped with the dark leather seats and door panels. The Audi dealer had also fitted the car with optional bigger wheels, again to try to make it look sleeker.
It doesn’t really stand out from the crowd, and for me that is part of the appeal.
The Allroad does have its own chrome front grille and lower trim, but apart from that it is standard solid Audi, which I think is a good thing – not trying to be too flash.
It is very well equipped with climate control, sat nav, Bluetooth phone connection, all-round parking sensors and a long, long list of safety features as standard, but then for around £45,000 I would expect that to be the case.
Not having had a crash in the car, I can’t say whether all of the safety features actually make a difference, but it certainly felt a safe place to be. The big plus for this car is the fact that it has Audis Quattro 4 wheel drive system, so in the worst of weather, it should feel very stable – it was hot and sunny when I tested it, so I cannot really comment more.
I’m not sure which of the three diesel engines was in the test car, as they are all automatic, and with the Quattro 4 wheel drive making the car heavier it is never going to be the best for mpg.
They have added automatic stop/start to the standard equipment, so that when you are stopped for more than a few seconds, the engine will turn off and then automatically back on again when you take your foot off the break.
This is a little disconcerting when it first happens, as you think you have stalled, but you quickly get used to it.
I managed 38.2mpg for the 100 miles that I did (according to the on-board computer), which took in motorway, dual carriageway, country and town driving. I was a bit disappointed with that, as I am used to getting nearer 50mpg, and with so many manufacturers claiming to make their cars more fuel efficient, it makes it no better than a much bigger 4x4.
If it is the same as previous Audis I have driven, then it will be very reliable, with only the regular servicing required. The one feature of this car that I would possibly be concerned about is the adjustable air suspension, as if this went wrong it would be very expensive to fix.
The one thing this car isn’t short of (on the inside) is space, with all seats offering plenty of leg room for those of us over 6ft tall. The boot space is well shaped, and with a low loading lip to help with heavier items.
The compromise for so much interior space, is that it makes the exterior very large. While parking is relatively easy with the all-round parking sensors, once you are in the parking space, getting out of the door could be a bit tight.
The drive is where the adjustable air suspension is a real plus, as it makes the car very refined over uneven surfaces, but also being a ‘Quattro’ makes the car feel very nimble. For such a large car, I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to drive at speed along winding country lanes, and it doesn’t suffer from the same jolting suspension as other ‘new’ Audis I have been in recently when going over bumps.
The engine pulled very well, with rapid acceleration on the dual carriageway and motorway, but then also felt very settled and unflustered when cruising at 80mph. More than enough power to overtake safely.
With all that power and body size, they have fitted very good breaks. Not too fierce, but reassuringly positive.
I’m not exactly sure who the A6 Allroad is aimed at? It is the same size as a standard A6 estate, so you can’t fit any more in. The standard A6 can also be bought with the same engines and Quattro 4 wheel drive system, so the only real difference is the adjustable air suspension.
A very pleasurable day, spent in a very comfortable, albeit very large car. The staff at Poole Audi were very efficient, and courteous, even though they knew I wasn’t going to be buying the car.
Audi have certainly put together a very good car, but would I buy one if I had a spare £45,000?
Personally, I would save a few pounds and get a standard A6 Quattro.
Audi A6 Allroad 3.0 TDI 204PS Quattro 6-speed S-Tronic
Specification includes:
- Deluxe 4-zone climate control
- 4-spoke leather multi-function steering wheel
- Air suspension
- Driver’s information system
- Headlamp power wash
- Light and rain sensors
- Storage pack
- Cruise control
- Valcona leather upgrade
- Bluetooth phone preparation
- 19in 20-spoke alloy wheels
- Audi Sound system
- Front and rear parking plus
- Heated front seats
- HDD based Satellite Navigation
- BOSE Sound system
- Audi Music Interface
- Rear and side window blinds
- Through-load facility with ski-bag
