- Olga Kokorina
- Translated by Olga Apetenok
- Ru Fr
Truly versatile
The Audi A6 Allroad Quattro is an all-wheel drive all-terrain estate, built on the improved Audi A6 Avant platform. It was unveiled in February 2000 in Geneva.
The Audi A6 Allroad Quattro occupies a special place among the estates due to the combination of the outstanding advantages of the A6 Avant model with the qualities of a real SUV. This car offers a high level of comfort, the ability to transform the interior on one side and the famous quattro all-wheel drive system with adaptive suspension, providing excellent traction, handling and a high level of safety.
The first generation
The debut generation went on sale at the turn of 1999-2000. The Avant Allroad Quattro (it didn’t have A6 in its name at that time) differed from the usual Audi A6 estate with permanent all-wheel drive as standard, with air suspension and roof rails. Stainless steel motor protection, increased ground clearance, and protective mudguards on the fenders increased the possibilities on light off-road conditions, especially those cars that were optionally equipped with a reduction gear. By the way, the driver could change the ground clearance in the range of 140-208 mm.
The engines were powerful. Thus, a 2.5-liter V6 TDI diesel engine developed 163-180 hp and a torque of 310-370 Nm. The petrol engines were presented by a 2.7-liter biturbo V6 engine with 250 hp, as well as a 4.2-liter naturally-aspirated V8 engine with 300 hp. Those engines were coupled with a 6-speed manual transmission or a 5-speed automatic transmission.
The second generation
It was released in May 2006. The second Allroad had the same differences from the original car as its predecessor. Standard equipment included adaptive air suspension, which reduced ground clearance at high speeds and had five operating modes, including two off-road ones. The suspension was made mainly of aluminum alloys and provided a high level of maneuverability and safety.
Being technologically advanced, the powerful engines were fuel-efficient. So, a 3-liter diesel V6 engine with a Common Rail injection system (240 hp and 500 Nm) consumed 7.1 liters in the combined cycle. The petrol 3-liter turbocharged TFSI V6 engine (335 hp and 420 Nm) consumed 9.5 l/100 km. The most powerful 4.2-liter FSI V8 engine (350 hp and 440 Nm) consumed 10.2 liters per 100 km. All modifications were equipped with a Tiptronic automatic transmission.
The interior not only contained all the elements required for pleasant travel, but also was a combination of luxury and aesthetics thanks to a rich selection of classy materials: fabrics and leather, decorative wood inserts. Of particular note was the intelligent passenger protection system, which included forward collision sensors, two-stage airbag deployment (depending on speed), and timely actuation of the seat belt pretensioners. Among other things, the standard equipment included the latest generation electronic stabilization system with advanced brake control functions and special off-road assistance modes. Plus, the maximum trunk volume was 1,660 liters. After the restyling in 2008, the car became even more attractive.
The third generation
It was produced from early 2012 to 2019. The third Audi A6 Allroad Quattro was the very model that started featuring the A6 index in the name. The reason for this was the emergence of a full-fledged Audi Q7 SUV. The car featured a lightweight body (about 20% aluminum), powerful and efficient engines inherited from previous generations, as well as a large and practical trunk. Compared to the standard A6 Avant, the Audi A6 Allroad was 6 cm taller and had wider wheel arches. It had side skirts, a radiator grille with vertical stripes, bumpers and side skirts painted in contrasting colors. Overall, the Allroad had over 1,100 unique parts that set it apart from the A6 sedan and the A6 Avant estate. The A6 Allroad could boast an expanded list of equipment, which included adaptive air suspension, a 7-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission and a permanent all-wheel drive system as standard.
The car was equipped with 3.0 TFSI (gasoline, 310 hp) and 3.0 TDI (204, 245 or 313 hp) engines, and featured independent multi-link front and rear suspensions. The standard adaptive air suspension made it possible to adjust the ride height within the range of 135-185 mm. The estate was one of the leaders in the class in terms of spaciousness thanks to the trunk with a volume of 565 liters or 1,680 liters with the rear seats folded down.
Starting from the entry-level version, the cars were equipped with front and side airbags, curtain airbags, vehicle dynamic control with hill descent assist and traction control, as well as bi-xenon headlights with washers, LED taillights, light and rain sensors, etc.
In 2014, Audi renewed the A6 family, including the Allroad. The cars received the latest generation of additional equipment, and the main innovation was the 3-liter turbocharged petrol direct injection V6 engine boosted to 333 hp.
The fourth generation
The fourth generation was presented in the summer of 2019, when this model turned 20 years old. It is being produced to this day (as of 2021). The new Audi A6 Allroad is still equipped with an air suspension that can change the ground clearance when driving and a front grille with vertical stripes in the style of Audi SUVs. A body kit is of a contrasting gray color, but can optionally be painted in body color or black.
But, unfortunately, the car has become less off-road oriented, so the new Allroad is clearly tuned to high-speed tracks. In the lower position, the ground clearance is only 139 mm, in the upper position (offroad mode, operating at speeds up to 80 km/h), it is 30 mm more. The maximum is 184 mm, and the Allroad lifts up to this height only when the speedometer doesn’t exceed 35 km/h. When the car reached 120 km/h, the ground clearance drops to 124 mm. At the same time, the car is still large, 4.95 m long, 1.90 m wide and 1.50 m high. The wheelbase is 2.93 m.
The estate initially featured a 3-liter V6 engine with 340 hp with mild hybrid technology: 48-volt on-board system, 8 kW starter-generator and 10 Ah lithium-ion battery, which allows reducing gasoline consumption by 0.4 l/100 km (the estate consumes 7.4 liters per 100 km in the combined cycle). With the 7-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission, acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h occurs in 5.5 seconds.
The 3-liter turbocharged diesel engine is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission and is available in three versions: 45 TDI (231 hp and 500 Nm), 50 TDI (286 hp and 620 Nm) and 55 TDI (349 hp and 700 Nm). The acceleration time from 0-100 km/h is 6.7 s, 5.9 s and 5.2 s, respectively, and the maximum speed is limited to 250 km/h. All engines have four-wheel drive.
The interior of the 2019/2020 Audi A6 Allroad Quattro features numerous color combinations, wood and aluminum elements, illuminated door sills and logo; many electrically adjustable seats with massage option. The car has 2-zone climate climate control system (optionally, 4-zone) and air quality control. The media system includes two displays: an upper center screen (10.1’) and a lower display (8.6’). The digital dashboard has a 12.3-inch diagonal (optional).
Like the A6 Avant, the new Audi A6 Allroad has a spacious trunk of 565 liters or 1,680 liters with the rear seats folded down (folds in a ratio of 40:20:40). The rear door electric drive and the contactless opening function are standard. There is a good load restraint system with rails in the floor, tensioning strap, net and two hooks for bags.
The 2020/2021 Audi A6 Allroad Quattro is equipped with a rich set of driver assistance systems, adaptive cruise control, lane change and lane keep assist, a surround view camera system, a dozen ultrasonic sensors and a laser scanner. Options include state-of-the-art HD Matrix headlights, active rear differential and fully steering chassis. For a surcharge, you can get a head-up display on the windshield and a night vision system with pedestrian recognition.
