What's the difference?
The Audi A4 allroad is the off-roader of the A4 line-up. I’m using the term ‘off-roader’ loosely here because this wagon is obviously best suited to daily duties in a city and suburbs, with perhaps an occasional foray into very light off-roading, i.e. driving on a well-maintained gravel or dirt road with few, if any, corrugations, and in dry weather only.
But that’s not a negative factor because the great thing about adventures is that they can be scaled to suit you, your lifestyle and your vehicle of choice.
However, is this allroad your best option for a comfortable, nice-driving all-rounder? Read on.
Mercedes-Benz has shifted its CLA compact coupe-style sedan from support player to headline act with the introduction of this all-new, third-generation version.
It exemplifies the German giant’s multi-powertrain approach with an expansion of the local line-up from two pure-combustion variants to a five-model range comprising three hybrid and two pure-electric options.
CarsGuide was invited to sample the hybrid version of the newcomer (the EVs arrive in July), so stay with us to see if this sleek four-door is your kind of premium European compact sedan.
The Audi A4 allroad 40 TDI quattro S Tronic is a nice-looking wagon that’s fun to drive.
It’s packed with tech, adequately functional for daily life and it’s also capable enough off-road as long as the driving surface is nothing more challenging than well-maintained gravel or dirt tracks in dry weather, and you’re not planning a rough-and-tumble expedition into remote bushland.
As I mentioned earlier, the great thing about adventures is that you can scale them to suit you and your vehicle and the allroad offers a nice stepping-stone for people who’d like to experience the outdoorsy lifestyle, before perhaps diving deeper into it.
The broadening of the CLA’s scope in this third-gen version puts it a step ahead of key rivals and raises the compact sedan’s prominence in the three-pointed star’s local line-up. Its combination of quality design, performance and efficiency is compelling. And we’ll drive the battery-electric version as soon as it lands.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.