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Week at the Wheel: Audi A4 allroad quattro. Image by Alisdair Suttie.

Week at the Wheel: Audi A4 allroad quattro
Audi is aiming for some SUV attitude with its allroad version of the A4 Avant estate.

   



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| Week at the Wheel | Audi A4 allroad quattro |

Inside & Out: star star star star star

The immediate differences in looks for the A4 allroad in comparison to its Avant estate sister models is the butched-up wheel arch extensions, raised ride height and the large, chrome-y grin of the front grille. There's also some subtle allroad badging on the boot and scuff plates when you open the doors. Otherwise, the allroad offers the same compact, taut good looks of every other A4 Avant.

Inside, it's even less obvious you are in anything other than an A4 estate. It's brilliantly well put together and there's not so much as a squeak from any of the joins between surfaces. We expect this A4 to last every bit as long as every other Audi, so good news there. The boot of our test car came with Audi's load securing system, offering various nets and straps in moveable runners. It also had a flip-over carpet with fabric on one side and a wipe clean rubberised finish on the other - ideal for those muddy boots or wet dogs that every aspiring SUV buyer is expected to carry.

For passenger space, the allroad is no more or less generous than an A4 Avant, so the driver is afforded plenty of adjustment in the seat and at the wheel, while rear seat occupants have decent, if not commodious, room for heads, legs and shoulders. Our only gripe is that the leather-upholstered seats offered little support and comfort no matter how much we adjusted the seat height, angle and distance from the steering wheel. This seemed to come down to large, flat cushions with minimal padding. Not good for any journey, never mind longer trips.

Engine & Transmission: star star star star star

A 2.0-litre turbodiesel is the mainstay of the Audi A4 range and in the allroad it's the natural, and most popular, choice. With 167bhp and 258lb.ft of torque spread between 1,750- and 2,500rpm, it has plenty of get up and go where it's needed most frequently. It's also happy to rev further for more urgent acceleration, though this engine is not as refined as some competitors' when driven with more gusto.

The six-speed manual gearbox fitted to our test car had the usual Audi shift: quick, easy and undemanding, but without the exact precision of a BMW's. The ratios are well matched to the car and there's no low-ratio - this is lifestyle SUV, not a dirt buster. Quattro four-wheel drive aids traction, but again more for on-road security than off-road traction. The tyres fitted as standard to the allroad would succumb to mud clogging only a short distance from terra firma.

Ride & Handling: star star star star star

Unfortunately, the raised ride height of the allroad does little to improve this A4's off-road ability. It helps when driving up a grassy track, but that's about your lot and we found the Audi was soon out of its depth on the outskirts of a sodden country car park. The extra height helps a smidgeon with visibility, but not so much as to convince us this A4 is a serious SUV contender.

More movement in the suspension does a little to iron out some of the lumps and bumps found in a standard A4's suspension. It copes a degree better with motorway potholes and ridges, but low-speed surface grudges can still be felt too readily. Yes, the A4 allroad is better over the bumps than a standard A4 Avant, but we reckon the Q5 is a more adept choice for those who value comfort. The Q5 is also a match for the allroad's handling.

In the allroad, body lean is kept in check and there's more than enough grip, aided by the quattro four-wheel drive, for any urban, suburban or countryside situations. More steering feel would be welcome, but the allroad offers easy parking and a compact turning circle, which is not the case in many of its more obvious SUV competitors. However, there's a noticeable rumble from the tyres on anything other than the smoothest patches of tarmac and the engine can also make itself heard too frequently.

Equipment, Economy & Value for Money: star star star star star

There's only one trim available for the A4 allroad in the UK and it's equivalent to a well specced A4 Avant. Alloy wheels and ESP are standard, as are six airbags, while luxury is catered for by climate control, electric windows all round and a CD stereo. Our test car was kitted out to the nines with ten grand's worth of extras, which included leather seats, satellite navigation, cruise control, metallic paint and a panoramic sunroof. All desirable stuff, but the end price pushes the A4 allroad into direct contention with some very able and luxurious SUVs.

Overall: star star star star star

The Audi A4 allroad is a good idea - cash in on the cache of the A6 allroad with a more compact, affordable offering. The reality doesn't match up, unfortunately, and the A4 allroad ends up stranded between a rock and a hard place. The rock is the A4 Avant, which provides everything the allroad does for less money, and the Q5 that is more capable off-road and significantly more comfortable. Nice try, Audi, but the A4 allroad simply cannot match the appeal of several cars from your own range, never mind the competition.

Alisdair Suttie - 6 Nov 2009



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2009 Audi A4 specifications: (2.0 TDI manual)
Price: £29,265 on-the-road.
0-62mph: 8.9 seconds
Top speed: 133mph
Combined economy: 45.2mpg
Emissions: 164g/km
Kerb weight: 1630kg

2009 Audi A4 allroad quattro. Image by Audi.2009 Audi A4 allroad quattro. Image by Audi.2009 Audi A4 allroad quattro. Image by Audi.2009 Audi A4 allroad quattro. Image by Audi.2009 Audi A4 allroad quattro. Image by Audi.

2009 Audi A4 allroad quattro. Image by Audi.2009 Audi A4 allroad quattro. Image by Audi.2009 Audi A4 allroad quattro. Image by Audi.2009 Audi A4 allroad quattro. Image by Audi.2009 Audi A4 allroad quattro. Image by Audi.



2009 Audi A4 allroad quattro. Image by Alisdair Suttie.
 

2009 Audi A4 allroad quattro. Image by Alisdair Suttie.
 

2009 Audi A4 allroad quattro. Image by Alisdair Suttie.
 

2009 Audi A4 allroad quattro. Image by Alisdair Suttie.
 

2009 Audi A4 allroad quattro. Image by Alisdair Suttie.
 

2009 Audi A4 allroad quattro. Image by Alisdair Suttie.
 

2009 Audi A4 allroad quattro. Image by Alisdair Suttie.
 






 

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