Audi A4 Allroad 2.0 TDI – Dirt Tracker

The Audi A4 Allroad proffers all the perks of an estate without the bulk of an SUV – however, is there space for it in a country where the latter reigns supreme?

It’s no secret that the A6 Allroad did not live up to Audi SA’s sales expectations but that was due to domestic SUV-obsessed buyers’ rhetoric rather than the vehicle itself – after all, the car was a resounding success in Europe. Now, after a nine-year hiatus from the SA market, the Allroad (deliberately all lower case spelling) nameplate has returned in Audi A4 guise, which will round of a three-model-only Avant line-up along with the performance-imbued S4 and RS4. The Allroad slots in between the Q3 and Q5 and will give buyers the option of driving something a lot less chunky and ubiquitous than the SUV without stifling utility. However, does it do enough to convince buyers of its competency and more importantly - can it rectify the sales disappointment of the A6 allroad?

The allroad retains all the core styling ingredients of the current A4 range, but a series of visual tweaks have beefed up its appearance quite significantly

Exterior

Aesthetically, the allroad retains all the core styling ingredients of the current A4 range, but a series of visual tweaks have beefed up its appearance quite significantly. As such, the vehicle benefits from a new single-frame grille with prominent horizontal bars finished in chrome that bestows it with quite an ominous and un-mistake-able appearance. A pity about the Cuveé Silver paintwork – a darker shade would do wonders to lift its proportions. Other key visual differentiators include model-specific front and rear bumpers with stainless steel scuff plates, protective plastic wheel arch moldings, aluminum running boards along the lower flanks and additional underbody cladding. You’ll also notice that it adopts Audi’s SUV-only circular fog lamp arrangement illustrating the allroad’s of-road slant. I like the rugged uniform, but would personally prefer the model’s optional 18-inch alloy wheels that further bolster its street-cred.

Interior

Apart from the allroad-branded door sills there isn’t anything particularly new or bespoke to see inside – it’s all standard Audi A4 I’m afraid. But this is not necessarily a bad thing because everything is still beautifully pieced together and adequately laid out with the high quality touches and finishes characteristic of the Audi brand. Strap yourself in and the sense of   familiarity is immediate, instilling in the driver a soothing sense of confidence. As an aside, the cabin is unfortunately starting to show its age – the interior architecture has, after all, been around since 2008. Still, leather upholstery is standard fare along with a multi-function steering wheel, with aluminum-look plastic fillets set within the facia and gear lever surrounds adding some contrast.

Inside its standard A4, however, having been around since 2008 the architecture is starting to show its age

Performance

Under the bonnet rests the firm’s widely employed 2.0-litre turbo diesel lump. The motor is refined and discreet in its operation and quite unlike some of the noisy oil burners we’ve sampled in the past – a direct result of a trick dual-mass fly wheel and superb cabin insulation. In fact, if it weren’t for the 4200rpm red line you’d think you were driving a turbocharged petrol vehicle. The 2.0-litre is a powerful unit, cranking out 130kW and 380Nm of torque that is available between 1750-2500rpm and accessed through a seven-speed S Tronic transmission. Naturally, it’s pretty responsive of the line due to the large helping of low-down torque, but the narrow torque band means it often feels like it’s running out of puff as you near the red line.

Under the bonnet rests the firm’s widely employed 2.0-litre turbo diesel lump.

At the track the allroad impressed over our acceleration tests, reeling-in the 0-100kph and quarter-mile markers in 7.98 and 15.94 seconds, respectively. The only thing missing from the experience – and I’m nit-picking here – is a pair of paddle shifters. I constantly found my fingers tapping the area behind the wheel where you’d usually find the shifters in the hope of up- and down-shifting at will, but unfortunately had to resort to the archaic gear lever tap method. Those with an over-enthusiastic right foot will be happy to learn that the diesel engine is very frugal, regardless of driving style. Driven conservatively over our 80km mixed-terrain economy test route, we managed to return 6.2ℓ/100km, which is pretty much spot-on with the manufacturers claimed combined cycle figure of 6.0ℓ/100km.

Handling

Despite its 180mm ride height (which is 50mm more than the recently discontinued Avant and 20mm less than the Q3), the allroad manages to track an appreciably clean line through a set of bends with little-to-no body roll. The positive handling characteristics appear compliments of the wider front/rear tracks and retuned suspension arrangement that provides prodigious lateral grip in partnership with the Quattro all-wheel drive system. It steers well too, reacting quickly to input at the wheel thanks to the speed-sensitive electro-mechanical layout.

It’s no ordinary Avant - the allroad has been beefed up with protective wheel arch cladding, aluminum scuff plates and running boards

On loose surfaces the allroad excels just as well as it does on the black stuff. The raised ride height gives it enough ground clearance for negotiating minor of-road excursions, dirt roads, humps and raised surfaces. While it doesn’t offer a bona fide mechanical differential, it makes use of a special of-road detection function (ORD) that reprograms the ESP, traction control and ABS systems and doles out the optimal amount of grip and traction accordingly.

Verdict

It’s very difficult to fault the new A4 allroad. Not only is it a good-looking vehicle both inside and out, it’s also a lot of fun to drive. Furthermore, the 2.0-litre turbo diesel’s huge torque figure is ideal for towing a trailer/load and its utilitarian nature makes it an ideal candidate for the outdoor enthusiast/mountain biker. However, does it have enough allure to replace the SUV as a family workhorse? Well, considering its smaller proportions and relatively modest R438  000 price point, the allroad does make a particularly strong case for itself but it’s ultimately going to come down to personal requirements and taste.

To date, the allroad is doing pretty well – 62 units of the annual 220 allocation have already been sold, which is positive considering the less-than-impressive sales performance of the A6 version. Realistically, the allroad shouldn’t trouble any of the SUV incumbents – instead, it’s more likely to cannibalize sales from the similarly priced and specced Audi Q3.