First Drive Review
Audi didn’t invent the crossover segment, but it does field a pretty strong lineup of models. Things arguably started twelve years ago with the A6-based Allroad; today, the company offers the Q3, Q5, and Q7 utilities, as well as the A4 Allroad and A6 Allroad wagons. The U.S. market is, at present, deprived of the Q3 and the A6 Allroad, although the former will soon join our lineup; the latter was only offered here in its first generation.
The third-generation A6 Allroad is being launched in Europe, with no U.S. plans in sight. The recipe remains unchanged from prior models: It is once again a dressed-up and jacked-up A6 Avant, without any true off-roading aspirations. Okay, the A6 Allroad does offer a tilt-angle display and an electronic hill-descent-assist function. But these enhancements don’t go very far in matching the chops of the first Allroad, which actually featured a low-range transfer case. (Audi dropped the rugged gear for A6 Allroad number two.)
Tough Looks, Not Tough to Look At
So once again, the Allroad is mostly about aesthetics. In fact, many customers will choose it not because they ever wish to leave the asphalt, but because they simply want the most upmarket A6. Ground clearance is increased slightly; the grille features specific vertical slats, the bumpers and fender flares are painted in a contrasting color. Audi has added aluminum bars front and rear, and there are unique brown-hued exterior and interior treatments that can help set the car apart from lesser A6 Avants. Overall, the new look isn’t exactly rugged, but it makes the point that its owner is an outdoorsy type, preferring Marmot to Loro Piana.
In accordance with its place as the top-shelf A6 wagon, the Allroad is offered with the A6 lineup's better engines; there is one gasoline engine, the supercharged 3.0 TFSI V-6 with 310 hp, and three variations of the 3.0-liter V-6 TDI with 204 hp, 245 hp, and 313 hp. The latter is equipped with twin turbos and two sound generators that artificially create a sporty growl, and it serves up so much torque—479 lb-ft—that Audi's own seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, used on the other models, has to be replaced with a ZF-sourced eight-speed torque-converter automatic.
Did We Mention We Like Diesels?
Of the diesels, we drove the 245-hp single-turbo version. The Allroad is the first application of this engine to get increased torque output of 428 lb-ft, up from the previous 369 lb-ft. (Variations of this engine are sold in various Audi models, as well as the VW Touareg and the Porsche Cayenne.) As far as diesels go, this unit is just about perfect. It emits a quiet purr and very little vibration, and it’s powerful, with most of its torque available at low rpm. The seven-speed dual-clutch transmission makes for seamless shifts, and thanks to a short first gear, you don’t miss torque multiplication when launching the car from a stop. We estimate a 0-to-60-mph time of 6.5 seconds for this particular model. The 3.0 TFSI, by contrast, is more about a sporty sound and precision, and the transmission’s seamless shifts can be sensed better with the gasoline engine. But the diesel fits the character of a crossover wagon better. Plus it’s very efficient. It gets 37 mpg in the European cycle, and real-life consumption in the low 30s is entirely possible.
The A6 Allroad is an accomplished long-distance cruiser, but it also enjoys single-lane highways. The weight of its powertrain is somewhat offset by body construction rife with aluminum, and the electromechanical power steering—one of the finer systems in this class, as we’ve noted in the A6 sedan’s comparison-test wins—reacts loyally to driver input. You can fiddle with the Drive Select system to adjust the vehicle's character to your heart's delight, but there is no mistaking the fact that this car weighs well over 4000 pounds—more, in fact, than an A8 with the same powertrain.
The A6 Allroad isn’t offered in the U.S., however the A4-based Allroad, which follows the same recipe in a slightly smaller serving size, will be available for 2013. Why no A6 Allroad? Because Audi wants to push its Q5 and Q7 models here, and because the brand doesn't want to get lost venturing into every niche. (It saves such wandering for its home market.) In reality, we’re not missing out on a lot. If you like crossover looks, go for the "Q" models; if you like station wagons, petition Audi to sell the latest A6 Avant here instead. It's lower, sportier, and lighter, and it’s the one that we’d rather drive.
