The SUV may have won the popularity contest, but Audi clearly has not forgotten the station wagon. In fact, it has doubled down on one of its most enduring formulas: take a luxury wagon, raise it a little, throw in quattro all-wheel drive, and encourage owners to take the scenic route home. Folks, meet the fifth-generation Audi A6 allroad.
The biggest visual change is impossible to miss. For the first time, the A6 allroad gets a wide-body treatment. Its body is 110 mm (4.3 inches) wider than the standard A6 Avant, giving it a much more planted and muscular stance. Throw in wheels up to 21 inches, chunky allroad-specific styling, and extra ride height, and this wagon looks ready to leave the pavement behind.
Not that it has forgotten how to behave on it.
The new A6 allroad comes standard with adaptive air suspension offering 55 mm (2.2 inches) of height adjustment and 34 mm (1.3 inches) more ground clearance than the regular A6 Avant. Quattro all-wheel drive is standard, naturally, while all-wheel steering helps this family-sized wagon feel surprisingly nimble. At low speeds, the rear wheels turn up to five degrees opposite the fronts to improve maneuverability. At higher speeds, they turn in the same direction for added stability.
Inside, Audi has loaded the A6 allroad with enough technology to make a luxury sedan jealous. The centerpiece is a digital cockpit consisting of an 11.9-inch virtual cockpit display and a 14.5-inch central touchscreen, with an optional 10.9-inch passenger display. Other goodies include digital Matrix LED headlights, digital OLED taillights, ventilated and massage seats, four-zone climate control, and a dimmable panoramic glass roof.
Under the hood, buyers can choose between two electrified powertrains. The first-ever A6 allroad e-hybrid pairs a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with an electric motor for a combined 367 PS (270 kW) and 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) of torque. A 25.9 kWh battery enables up to 95 km (59 miles) of electric-only driving.
If diesel is more your thing, Audi still has you covered. The 3.0-liter V6 TDI delivers 299 PS (220 kW) and 580 Nm (428 lb-ft) of torque, aided by a mild-hybrid system that can contribute an additional 24 PS (18 kW) when needed.
Whether you are hauling luggage, bicycles, camping gear, or simply your ego after choosing a wagon over an SUV, the new Audi A6 allroad looks ready for the task. Orders open on June 18, with European pricing starting at €77,250 before options inevitably turn that number into something much more exciting.
Images: Audi.