Audi A4 allroad 2020 Review – International

The allroad is to the Audi A4 range what the Cross Country is to the Volvo V60 and the Outback is to the… sorry was… to the now non-existent Liberty wagon.

A bit more ride height (in this case 35mm) than the Avant (wagon), a bit of wheel arch cladding, an off-road tab in the drive mode selector and a road-going wagon has turned into a sort-of SUV.

Easily identified as being part of Audi’s off-roader family by the vertical bars in its revised grille, this update should be in Australia around the middle of 2020, maybe in quarter three.

It will arrive sometime not too long after the face-lifted B9-series A4 sedan and Avant.

The current A4 allroad is offered in Australia as one model – the 45 TFSI quattro S Tronic – priced at $74,800 (plus on-road costs). The recommended retail price of its replacement is expected to climb a few thousand dollars.

The current model’s nomenclature translates to a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine making 185kW/370kW, driving all four wheels via an on-demand (quattro) all-wheel drive system and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

The new allroad cops a 5kW drop in power – same as the mainstream A4 45 – but torque stays the same at 370Nm. A very mild 12-Volt hybrid system is added to the drivetrain for this update.

It saves no more than 0.3L/100km because all it does is extend the idle-stop capability a little and allows a sailing mode for 10sec at a time. Restarts are smoother thanks to the belt-driven alternator starter that’s part of the system.

The A4 allroad continues to employ the latest ultra on-demand quattro system that is front-wheel drive until slip is detected. It also gets significantly upgraded web-based connectivity capability that Audi is revealing more about in Australia at the end of July.

A new touchscreen atop the dash points to that change and also banishes the rotary dial that has been intrinsic to Audi’s MMI controller system since it first launched in the A8 in 2002.

Other big equipment changes are unlikely. Eight airbags, a driver assist package including autonomous emergency braking (AEB), a reversing camera, a powered tailgate and tri-zone climate control are among current key features.

Audi currently offers a three-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and service intervals are 15,000km/12 months.

The Audi A4 allroad offers a frag more driving flexibility than a standard Avant thanks to that extra ground clearance and the off-road mode that combines the functions of traction control, stability control, anti-lock braking and hill descent control at the touch of a button.

The limit of our dirt testing was a smooth gravel forestry track somewhere near Bolzano in northern Italy. A pretty spot and not too challenging to get to, it suited the allroad’s capabilities perfectly.

Yep, this is not a vehicle to tackle serious off-road obstacles. It’s for treks on formed roads to the ski fields and the beach.

But mostly, of course, it will see service in town on bitumen roads. It’s terrific for that. Our test car came with adaptive dampers that should be optional in Australia, as per the current generation.

Driving in comfort mode, which roughly approximates the standard passive suspension settings, the allroad is comfortable, pliant and a little more roly-poly mid-corner than the A4 45 sedan sampled on the same day.

The A4 allroad irons out crappy roads corrugations better than the shorter-travel road car, yet doesn’t give up too much steering accuracy.

The engine is a powerful, responsive ace and the combination with the S Tronic enables it to be relaxed or snappy. A 6.1sec 0-100km/h claim might be a tad optimistic; but only a tad.

The interior is another appealing aspect of the A4 allroad. Except for the touch-screen that looks tacked-on, it’s high quality and generous in space and seat comfort.

There’s plenty of stowage space around the cabin and in the luggage area. It has a rated capacity of 495 litres, which expands to 1495 litres with the rear seats folded and the cargo loaded to roof.

If you appreciate flexibility and all-wheel drive traction with your prestige badge and don’t want a true high-rise SUV then the allroad is for you.

It’s a sensible compromise between function and fashion.

Next year shapes as a big one for high-rise all-wheel drive wagons in Australia. Along with the allroad there will be a new Subaru Outback and a new generation Volvo V60 Cross Country.

The Audi A4 allroad will be more expensive than either of them.

Of course, there is a Subaru Outback here now and we rate it very highly . We also like the Volkswagen Passat Alltrack. Another vehicle nominally in this category is the Holden Calais Tourer, but it doesn’t have enough ground clearance to go more than symbolically off-road.

The B9 generation Audi A4 allroad is already an excellent proposition. That makes sense because the donor vehicle is terrific too.

The good news is there are no fundamental changes for this update, so it’s still worth considering. The bad news is you’ll cop a price rise anyway.

But 2020 is shaping as a good year for these high-rise wagons. Shop around.

How much does the 2020 Audi allroad quattro 45 TFSI cost?
Price: $78,000 (estimated)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder
Output: 180kW/370Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 6.6-6.8L/100km (WLTP Combined)
CO2: 150-155 g/km (WLTP Combined)
Safety rating: TBA

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