Category: Small 4x4s 
Price Range: No data available
Drives as well as A4 Avant, butch looks, fine fuel consumption, increased towing capacity.
Limited off-road ability, expensive.
It's difficult to makes a case for the A4 Allroad over the excellent Q5.
Audi's obsession with the niche continues. Not satisfied with just one small 4x4 offering in its range it has decided to create a crossover version of the A4 Avant.
Borrowing styling cues and 4x4 know-how from the bigger Allroad version of the A6 the new A4 Allroad follows a similar recipe. There is one big difference: the A4 crucially misses out on its sibling's height-adjustable air suspension which compromises its off- roading ability. Instead, longer travel springs and larger 18" wheels boost ride-height by just 37mm over the normal A4.
Underneath, the Allroad gets stainless steel under-body protection, while the body gets tough-looking wheel-arch extensions.
To help it fare better off-road, engineers have developed an ESP system that can actively detect when the car is driving off the beaten track by adapting the ESP to cope with treacherous conditions.
Pricing for the A4 Allroad starts at £29,285 to £34,560. It is vailable initially with either a 208bhp 2.0 turbo petrol, a 168bhp 2.0 TDI and a range topping 237bhp 3.0 V6 diesel, the range, on average, is around £2,100 cheaper than the Q5 4x4 - a car we think is excellent and worthy of a five star 4Car verdict.
Can we heap similar praise on the Allroad? Read on to find out.
