designboom test drives AUDI's second-gen A4 allroad quattro through bavaria

designboom test drives AUDI’s second-gen A4 allroad quattro through bavaria
all images courtesy of AUDI

AUDI ‘A4 allroad quattro’ combines an high level of driving comfort with off-road qualities, which positions it uniquely within its segment. designboom test drove the next-generation luxury station wagon through bavaria, to witness the advanced standard quattro drive and to see how it gets dirty with a little off-roading.

the second-generation ‘A4 allroad quattro’

the ‘A4 allroad quattro’ is defined by a generation of cars designed for one thing: versatility. with flared wheel arches and a sturdy underbody protection, the car can handle whatever the driver throws at it. the distinctive front end, with its jagged matrix-LED headlights and ‘allroad’ logos, blends the car into city or the outdoors.

flared wheel arches distinctive to the ‘allroad’ series

the torque-strong ‘TFSI’ and ‘TDI’ engines in the ‘A4 allroad quattro’ offer improved performance with better efficiency. all six engine types produce between 150 hp and 272 hp, which is up to 27 hp more than in the previous model. power transmission is handled by a manual six-speed gearbox, the new seven-speed ’S tronic’ or the further developed eight-speed tiptronic – all of which have quattro all-wheel drive as standard.

the mid-size car comes equipped with either ‘TFSI’ and ‘TDI’ engines

compared with AUDI’s ‘A4 avant’, the right height has been increased by 23mm and wheel diameter has been increased to provide an additional 34 mm of ground clearance. as an alternative to the standard suspension, AUDI is offering a suspension system that features damper control for the first time. the driver can use select from different modes – comfort, auto, dynamic, efficiency, individual and off-road, at the push of a button.

the mid-sized AUDI provides an additional 34 mm of ground clearance

inside, AUDI continues with an exceptional form-follows-function layout that has a spacious feeling, and numerous infotainment options. the focal point is AUDI’s latest virtual cockpit with the ‘MMI’ operating concept. the broad and diverse range of AUDI connect services, the smartphone interface with inductive charger represent the latest generation of online infotainment and connectivity. the car tested included bang & olufsen sound system, with a total of 19 speakers into the mid-sized class.

the large trunk can easily fit sports equipment, luggage and long pieces of furniture

all of AUDI’s latest driver assistance and safety systems are available for the ‘A4 allroard quattro’ including – predictive efficiency assistant, exit warning, the adaptive cruise control ‘stop&go’ including traffic jam assist and the new trailer maneuver system. the second-generation of AUDI’s ‘A4 allroad quattro’ is coming to dealers in germany and europe this summer.

be sure to check out more of designboom’s test drives which include, the luxury AUDI ‘A4‘ and the high performance AUDI ‘R8 V10‘.