The new generation Audi A6 is no exception to the tradition and is available in an all-terrain station wagon version Allroad, constituting one of the references of the category. Versatility and first-class road services are on the program.
By Frédéric Edmond
For the past twenty years, each generation of the Audi A6 has offered an off-road version of its Avant station wagon, called the Allroad. The ancestor of crossovers and SUVs, this segment of adventurous roadsters continues to be popular and, at Audi, the A6 station wagon is essentially sold as an Allroad despite its higher price. The new generation A6 is no exception to the rule with this enhanced station wagon, equipped with body protectors at the wheel arches, specific bumpers and aluminum roof bars. Thus dressed, this 4.95-meter long, 1.90-meter wide car with a 2.92-meter wheelbase keeps the bourgeois look of the A6 Avant but presents itself in a more robust way.
The interior remains the same as the A6, with a beautiful finish, great comfort, remarkable space and a dashboard equipped with two touch screens designed to make the ergonomics of the controls as intuitive as possible. It’s true that with such an arsenal of technology on board, the stakes were high: this A6 is indeed equipped with the latest advances from the German manufacturer and benefits from a generous range of standard equipment. In this respect, the A6 Allroad, like other models of the ringed brand, remains exemplary in terms of safety.
Of course, this Allraod hasQuattro all-wheel drivewith an air suspension that can be managed by different driving modes, Allroad or Offroad, the latter offering the possibility to increase the ground clearance up to 18 cmThis allows the car to venture into the most difficult terrain and quagmires – something it usually never does. In any case, this all-wheel drive system proves to be effective.
Our test version, the 55 TDI, has a six-cylinder engine that develops 349 horsepower. With its 700 Nm of torque at 2,500 rpm, this station wagon reaches 100 km/h from a standing start in just over 5 seconds; At 130 km/h, the engine idles at barely 2,000 rpm, which guarantees the Allroad a certain amount of safety when overtaking or entering the highway, as well as relatively reasonable fuel consumption – we noted an average of 7 liters per hundred kilometers on a trip of about 700 kilometers – for a car of this size, power and weight – about two tons.
This mass is undoubtedly the downside of the car: although it’s comfortable, the suspension sometimes struggles to contain body movements, but this is only true on bumpy roads. On the highway, lowered to the maximum to optimize aerodynamics and handling, the A6 shows high-level skills. As for the steering, it varies according to the selected driving mode. In Comfort mode, it is light and precise, and gets harder depending on the other modes chosen, such as Sport mode, which also affects the suspension and engine settings.
In brief: Engine: V6; Displacement: 2,967 cm3; Power: 349 hp. Torque: 700 Nm; 0 to 100 km/h: 5.2 seconds; Top speed: 250 km/h; Combined fuel consumption: 6.6 liters. 250 km/h; Fuel consumption: 6.6 liters.
