Depending on general consumer preferences, wagons/estates have a bit of a tough time in North America. Forget their benefits, most new shoppers want SUVs to sit higher above the road and have more interior space. That’s why the midsize Audi A6 sedan was once offered as the estate (known as the Avant) and was discontinued for the C7 generation in North America despite living on in Europe.
To give the market another chance at wagons, Audi is bringing two long-roof versions of their midsize offering. This includes the wild RS6 Avant super-wagon and the consumer-orientated A6 allroad.
The allroad features everything an SUV should have into a more efficient, rarer, and better driving vehicle. What’s not to like?
The allroad Revisions
For North America, Audi raises the ride height of the allroad by 1.2 inches over the regular sedan. The allroad features standard air suspension system, added some plastic body cladding and some deeper, tougher bumpers. This movement could be labelled as the ‘Outback-ization’ of modern wagons. Take the approach that makes the Subaru Outback such a successful vehicle and apply it to a premium product with a premium price tag to a segment of the population that wants a premium vehicle. In that sense, the A6 allroad is a very successful vehicle: it does exactly what it’s meant to do.
As standard, the allroad’s body cladding is painted glossy black as opposed to using flat grey plastics seen on almost every rugged SUV and crossover. Audi presents the option for a body colour matched paint on the cladding for an additional $1000CAD (as what is featured in this demo model). This look can help stealth out the allroad’s main design element and give the illusion to look more like the European Avant. The as-tested price for this top trim model retails for $87,650CAD.
Sibling Rivalry
Currently, the A6 allroad only comes with one powertrain setup. It features the 3.0L 48V mild-hybrid turbocharged V6 with quattro ultra AWD. This power plant produces 355 horsepower and 359 lb/ft of torque with a government rated fuel efficiency of 11.8/9.1/10.6 L/100km (city/highway/combined). The direct conversion to US MPG is 19.9, 25.9, 22.2 for city/highway/combined. Comparing this vehicle to the Q7, its most similar sibling, the Q7 offers three engine choices but comparing the V6 to V6 in both vehicles will offer almost all of the same technology and creature comforts. If your car purchase needs a third row of seating and the aforementioned seating position, then the Q7 will remain your only satisfactory choice in the Audi lineup.
Both vehicles are astounding long-distance driving machines with effortless comfort, impressive build quality with well-integrated technology. However, if there is no need for the third row but the need of storage flexibility plays a major factor in the purchasing decision, the A6 allroad should seriously be considered. It’s a fair blanket statement that the core lineup of Audi’s vehicles all feature the same drivings characteristics. They are all comfortable, removed from the outside world and feature potent, but not engaging, powertrains. For the allroad, all of the above is true. There’s a little less roll in the corners and the braking dive is noticeably less.
For driving enthusiasts, these are great qualities to find in vehicles but will the typical buyer care to notice these differences? With the small ride height increase, the seating position does feel slightly different to the standard A6 sedan but is nowhere close to the layout of the Q7. Interior comfort is tremendous for most passengers and drivers, only those above 6 foot tall will notice the reduction of the head space from the Q7 to the allroad.
Cabin Space and Interior Changes
Regarding the interior of the allroad, with the exception of the greater head room for the second row, there’s close to no other changes compared to the A6 sedan. The MMI Touch dual screen system is integrated well with gorgeous materials and a general lack of storage space up front. The only appreciable difference with the A6 all road’s user experience in the front of the cabin is the inclusive of allroad and off-road driving modes.
These modes raise the air suspension up to its maximum and keep a consistent distribution of power to the wheels. The trunk space of this wagon is the big news for this vehicles cabin. Featuring an automatically sliding security cover and an independent mesh screen to split the trunk space from the occupant space, the A6 allroad has a lot of great versatility. The mesh screen will likely be used with owners that have big dogs that they can keep an eye on but won’t have the worry that Cujo will rip up or slobber all over the leather.
Conclusion
The A6 allroad is a bit formulaic, but it shows that Audi is giving North American’s another chance of the benefits of wagons. At the end of the day, any car company will be happy to sell you any of their products, but Audi has a least committed to giving consumers more options than some of its rivals.
This review was made possible with the help of Glenmore Audi in Calgary, Alberta