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How much? £34,560
On sale in the UK: Now
Engine: 2967cc V6 24V turbodiesel, 237bhp @ 4200rpm, 368lb ft @ 1500-3000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic, four-wheel drive
Performance: 6.6sec 0-62mph, 148mph, 40mpg, 189g/km CO2
How heavy / made of? 1730kg/steel
How big (length/width/height in mm)? 4721/1841/1495
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CAR's rating

Rated 3 out of 53

Handling

Rated 4 out of 54

Performance

Rated 4 out of 54

Usability

Rated 5 out of 55

Feelgood factor

Rated 4 out of 54

Readers' rating

Rated 2.5 out of 52.5

Audi A4 Allroad 3.0 TDI (2009) CAR review

By Chris Chilton

First Drives

22 April 2009 10:36

Click here to watch the Audi A4 Allroad video

Audi has given the latest A4 Avant the Allroad treatment by raising the ride height and adding some butch cladding. But is it just a load of marketing rubbish? And why wouldn’t you have a Q5?

What’s involved in turning an Audi A4 Avant into an Allroad?

It’s essentially the same trick Audi began using on the A6 nearly a decade ago: chunky plastic cladding to protect the bodywork (or more likely let people know that it’s not a normal Avant) and cover a 19mm wider track, plus there’s a 37mm hike in ground clearance. But unlike the air-sprung A6 Allroad, the A4 has conventional steel springs so the ride height is fixed at that level. An Allroad costs around £1500 more than an A4 Avant Quattro SE with the same drivetrain but does come with 18in alloys and a boot organiser thing as standard.

What’s under the bonnet?

Powertrain options are more limited than in a regular A4. The only petrol engine is the latest Golf GTI’s 207bhp 2.0-litre turbo four, available with manual or S-tronic (DSG) gearboxes, both featuring six speeds. It’s actually quicker than the GTI, reaching 62mph in 6.9sec, 0.3sec sooner, and can return 35mpg. Diesel fans looking for similar performance can choose the beefy 3.0-litre TDI six but most will likely settle for the 2.0TDI.

Is it actually any good off road?

Surprisingly so. Audi laid on a mild off-road course that the Allroad cruised through with no problem – and which an A4 Avant with the same Quattro transmission probably could have tackled equally well. But a couple of quite serious ascents and descents proved not just the level of traction but also the surprisingly generous approach and departure angles. A proper SUV would certainly be able to do more, but the Allroad is capable of handling anything most of us would ever ask of it. Audi mentions research that suggests only 2% of SUV buyers actually ever venture off road.

>> Click 'Next' below to read more of our Audi A4 Allroad first drive

       

Audi A4 Allroad; Audi press conference at the Geneva motor show 2009; Audi's baby Q7 caught by our spy video team.; If you want to watch an R8 lap Cadwell Park, shot from the tail of a 911 GT3 RS, then this is your video. CAR's road test editor Chris Chilton is at the R8's wheel, trying to keep up with Touring Car driver Matt Neal in the Porsche. ; Ben Barry test drives Audi's new 571bhp RS6 Avant; CAR's team presents its guide to the 2008 Geneva Motor Show; Welcome to petrolhead heaven. Join the CAR team, and guest driver Matt Neal from the British Touring Car Championship, at Cadwell Park. We put 2007's hottest 14 cars - including the BMW M3, Audi R8 and Lamborghini Superleggera - to the test.; automotive; CAR Magazine; greatest Performance Cars; hot laps; Audi videos
12Next>>

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Average rating: Rated 2.5 out of 52.5 (66 votes)

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Audi A4 Allroad 3.0 TDI (2009) CAR review

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Jonboy999

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Jonboy999 says

RE: Audi A4 Allroad 3.0 TDI (2009) CAR review

Seems like Audi have accidentally created what the public has wanted for a long time - an A4 with decent suspension travel and ride comfort.

 

I'm not sure how much of a premium an allroad is actually worth over a standard Audi A4 but I'd presume there's not much development cost, so if it fills another niche and gives customers what they want, then why not?

 

 

22 July 2009 20:04

 

a t o m i c

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a t o m i c says

RE: Audi A4 Allroad 3.0 TDI (2009) CAR review

 SUrely the person wanting something a bit more car-like than a Forester would choose an Outback? It's difficult to dislike these 4WD-estate-with-wellies-on cars because the alternative is the dreadful "SUV". Quite why Car would choose the Q5 in preference is a mystery to me.

23 April 2009 14:18

 

kkirkou

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kkirkou says

RE: Audi A4 Allroad 3.0 TDI (2009) CAR review

I'd have this over the Q5. It is not as tall, not as huge and not as heavy as the Q5. Looks far better than the Q5, it has the same very good 4X4 system and it has all the ground clearance I'd need for my place's quite snowy conditions.

23 April 2009 11:56

 

JohnnyBimmer

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JohnnyBimmer says

RE: Audi A4 Allroad 3.0 TDI (2009) CAR review

agree the interior is nice but aren't we all getting a little fed up with this 'Timberland boots' makeover as something cutting edge and outward bound? How about a Nintendo Wii version with a head up windscreen display that turns your the A-345 into the Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans! 

22 April 2009 20:47

 

trocadero

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trocadero says

RE: Audi A4 Allroad 3.0 TDI (2009) CAR review

Take an Audi, any Audi, place on photocopier and enlarge or reduce as required. This sums up the entire range.

22 April 2009 14:45

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