Audi A6 2007 review

It was one of the better ideas to come out of the rush to cash in on the crossover boom which hit the automotive industry almost a decade ago. At a time when the common option for a family wanting to “get away” at weekends or for the annual holidays was a substantial four-wheel-drive — substantial in the manner of a Toyota LandCruiser, Nissan Patrol or Mitsubishi Pajero — Audi came to the party with something practical and clever.

The Allroad held enormous promise and represented the upper end of a segment dominated by Subaru, a practical family wagon with enough off-road and soft-road ability to take the average city slicker into country they could describe as adventurous to workmates on Monday morning.

With about 1000 sales in Australia between 2000 and 2005 the original Allroad was not a huge success but it did pay its way and offered good value for anyone shopping the top end of the market for the Aussie dream of escaping to the bush.

It is therefore more than a little ironic that the “improved” second generation of the Allroad fails the Australian Government's test of what constitutes a four-wheel-drive under the tariff regime. The head-office designers have done Audi no favours in Australia with the lower-riding, longer wheel-based new Allroad unable to meet enough of the 4WD criteria — approach angle, breakover angle and running clearance — to qualify for the lower 5 per cent import duty.

The upshot is that the Allroad's price has shot up by $21,000 — not all of it duty-related — to $106,000, and that is for the basic package. Options such as satellite navigation, Bluetooth phone, reversing camera, sunroof, upgraded leather, iPod compatability and a voice activation system can easily lift the price beyond $110,000.

All of that in no way stops the Allroad from being a good idea — and a well-executed one at that.

Stylistically the Allroad is a more adventurous A6 Avant. There are some extra bulges in the exterior cladding, a set of neat aluminium roof rails, an Allroad badge and not a lot else to set it apart to the casual observer.

Watch closely and you may catch it rising and falling on the adjustable air-suspension — something that set the original Allroad apart.

Step into the cabin and you could be in almost any of Audi's large passenger cars — a point decidedly in favour of the Allroad. The cabin is roomy and light, the leather seats comfortable and well bolstered.

In keeping with the A6 in general the instruments are well placed and easy to read. Audi's command centre control system — a simpler and more intuitive version of BMW's ground-breaking i-Drive — brings most of the main control functions easily to hand. Sound system, navigation, suspension settings and phone are all just a click or a twist away.

Twin dual-stage front airbags, side bags for front and rear passengers and Audi's sideguard curtain airbag offer a strong passive safety comforter. A full complement of electronic safety systems including stability and traction control, anti-skid brakes and the Quattro all-wheel-drive complete the active safety story.

Four 17-inch alloys are standard fit but the spare is a space-saver — another disappointment. Space for the rear passengers is generous if travelling four-up, less so if you want to fit a third across the rear.

Load space is generous without being excessive. With the rear seats in place there is ample room for luggage for four and the clever rails system in the floor of the luggage compartment offers a variety of options for fixing or steadying any load. Fold the rear seats down and load capacity is out to 1660 litres, which is comparable to other similar-sized wagons.

Rear access is aided by electronic opening and closing of the tailgate.

The air-suspension offers five settings ranging from 125mm to 185mm clearance. They can be set manually but will adjust automatically when speed and road conditions exceed factory settings. The damper settings adjust automatically in concert with the ride heights.

Around town and on the open road the settings and adjustments are both subtle and supple. Ride varies from plush to a little floaty at higher speeds but is never unacceptable.

Stability and grip from the Quattro system is superb, let down only slightly by steering that is a little remote and light when pushing on. However, in city traffic and carparks that same lightness is a blessing when manoeuvring this large car.

So far so good, but it is where the Allroad could have fallen down that it really excels. Too often a good package is spoilt by an inadequate or inappropriate engine. Happily, that is not the case with this Audi.

The 3.0-litre TDI is an absolute gem and as good as it is in the hulking Q7, it stands apart in the lighter (1800kg) Allroad. The engine's 171kW gives adequate power for top speed and cruising capability, but it is the V6's 450Nm of torque that is the key to the enjoyment you will get from this wonderful oil-burner.

At anything over 1400rpm the urge through the all-wheel-drive is little short of manic and doesn't start to go away until you cross 3250rpm. Controlling that torque is Audi's six-speed tiptronic transmission which without fuss keeps the meat of the torque curve engaged. It is good enough that after a couple of experiments with the manual shifters, most owners will not bother with anything but full automatic. It is nothing unusual but you will not see fuel economy approaching the 8.8 litres per 100km claimed by Audi.

Mostly driven in the city and with a good lashing of enthusiasm, the test car returned an average of 10.2 litres per 100km, still very acceptable figures for such a substantial vehicle.

 The Bottom Line

Stylish, practical and expensive. It is a shame that many potential buyers will turn away from the Allroad to other, less city-friendly options to pocket a substantial saving.

Snapshot

Audi A6 Allroad Quattro

Price: $106,000

Engine: 3.0L V6 turbo diesel; 171kW, 450Nm

Transmission: 6-speed tiptronic

Economy: 10.2L/100km (as tested), 8.8L/100km (claimed)

The Rivals

Subaru Tribeca

Price: $60,990 (3.0R Premium 7-seat)

Engine: 3.0L/6-cylinder; 180kW, 297Nm

Transmission: 5-speed auto

Economy: 12.4L/100km

BMW X5 3.0d auto

Price: $86,800

Engine: 3.0L/6 cyl turbo diesel; 150kW, 480Nm

Transmission: 6-speed auto

Economy: 9.4L/100km

Volvo XC90 D5

Price: $72,950

Engine: 2.4L/5 cyl turbo diesel; 136kW, 400Nm

Transmission: 6-speed auto

Economy: 9.0L/100km