The Audi A6 allroad is arguably the top dog in a growing breed of rugged estate cars offering raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive. With a starting price of around £45k, it’s certainly a dearer prospect than the Vauxhall Insignia Country Tourer or Volvo XC70. 

Its luxury-spec interior and go (almost) anywhere ability means it could actually be the ideal alternative to taller 4x4s for those who don’t like their image or how they feel to drive. 

A body kit including wheel arch extensions, sills and aluminium skid plates toughens up its appearance, but inside it’s easy to forget the allroad is capable of mud-plugging and just enjoy its sumptuous interior.

Performance

A trio of 3.0-litre diesel engines are available, all sending power to an automatic gearbox. Power starts at 215bhp, with a healthy 268bhp in the mid-range version getting the allroad from 0-62mph in just 6.2 seconds. 

Even quicker is the BiTDI diesel, with two turbochargers giving it 316bhp and dropping the benchmark sprint to only 5.5 seconds, quicker than any hot hatch. A clever exhaust system also gives this model a throbbing rumble more akin to a V8 petrol engine, making its performance seem even more potent.

Ride and Handling

The A6 allroad feels as planted and resistant to body roll as you’d expect from one of Audi’s normal estate cars

An air suspension system is key to the allroad’s abilities, allowing it to raise and lower in a similar way to the Range Rover Sport.  This means on tarmac, the A6 allroad feels as planted and resistant to body roll as you’d expect from one of Audi’s normal estate cars. Not only this, but the ride is comfortable, with even our test car’s optional 20-inch alloy wheels not causing too many bumps. The steering is slightly vague, but it’s smooth and there’s so much grip on offer, the allroad faithfully follows your demands. Using the infotainment system you can switch between driving modes to firm up or soften the ride, while an economy mode adjusts performance and gearshifts to save fuel. The unique ‘allroad’ mode raises the suspension for mild off-roading, allowing it to soak up fields and tracks.

Interior and Equipment

Switching the A6 allroad’s air suspension from its lowest Dynamic mode to its highest setting lifts the car by 60mm.

The interior is very closely related to the A6 Avant, but allroad badges are dotted around the cabin. Materials are first rate and even the instrument cluster smacks of quality and attention to detail.  Taller drivers and passengers should have no issues, we could barely reach the pedals with the driver’s seat slid fully back on its rails. The 565-litre boot is large and usefully square, with no intrusion from the wheel arches. Fold the rear seats down using the convenient handles in the boot and it expands to a considerable 1,680 litres with an almost flat floor.  There are lots of personalisation options too, with various wooden veneers and aluminium inlays available depending on your tastes and budget. Choose wisely though, although our test car’s cream leather seats and carpets looked stunning, we were worried about getting this allroad muddy.

Cost

Fuel consumption is quite agreeable for such a large car, with 50.4mpg possible in both the lower-powered models

The allroad we tested came in at just over £80k (list price of £50,685) thanks to a roster of optional extras including a Head-up display (£1,240), Valcona leather comfort seats (£5,500), Bang&Olufsen sound system (£6,300) and Audi’s Technology pack (£3,500). This just shows how far upmarket you can take the allroad if you so desire, but we’d certainly recommend picking options sparingly if want the best value for money. The Technology pack includes essentials like sat-nav and mobile connectivity, but we’d probably do without luxuries like massaging and ventilated front seats (£1,600) and ambient lighting (£550). Fuel consumption is quite agreeable for such a large car, with 50.4mpg possible in both the lower-powered models and 43.5mpg if you opt for the range topping BiTDI. Emissions of 149g/km of CO2 also cost a reasonable £145, climbing to 172g/km and £205 for the BiTDI.

Our Verdict

While it certainly isn’t cheap, one drive in the A6 allroad tells you it’s a quality piece of kit. From the excellent build quality and lovely cabin to the plush ride afforded by its air suspension, this is one seriously desirable estate car. Given its excellent road manners and its ability to tackle some mud and ruts, it begs the question, do you still need that SUV? It’s an argument made more convincing when the BiTDI engine is fitted, because while it will cost more to run, its performance is nothing short of sensational. Stay sensible with the options list and the allroad starts to look like better value.