Audi Allroad Quattro
Encyclopedia
The Audi allroad quattro and the subsequent Audi A6 allroad quattro are crossover
estate
executive car
s, manufactured and marketed by German
automaker Audi
since 1999. Based on the Avant version of the Audi A6
, the A6 allroad quattro remains in production for Europe, but not for North America as of December, 2010.
executive car
, and its rear end is almost identical to the A6 Avant, the estate
version. The main differences are an advanced air suspension
system, larger wheels with all-terrain tyres, and flared and unpainted bumpers, giving it a distinct appearance and more overall flexibility over varying terrain.
Audi's trademark Torsen
-based quattro permanent four-wheel drive
system is standard equipment for all versions.
test-course, thus far it is the only car-based SUV that has been proven capable of doing so in testing.
Conversely, the air suspension can lower the vehicle down to only 142 mm (6 in) above road level, and simultaneously stiffen the spring and damper rates to provide a sporty driving experience, much like that of the conventional A6
with the sports suspension.
V6
gasoline engine with 250 PS of power and 350 newton metre of peak torque was available initially, alongside the 2.5 L TDI diesel unit with 132 kW (180 PS) and 370 Nm (273 ft·lbf) torque. A variant of the corporate 4.2 V8 gasoline engine, shared with the Audi S4 (B6/B7), was made available in 2003, and a less powerful TDI (163 bhp) followed in 2004.
Despite this versatility and generally positive word of mouth from owners and magazine reviews, allroad sales failed expectations in the North American market for which it was originally intended. Oddly, most of its sales came from Europe, especially its native Germany. Its somewhat high price, lack of market identity in its segment and Audi's ambiguous advertising seem to have been the primary contributing factors; buyers who tend to normally seek either the more car-like look and ride of station wagons or the larger, less ambiguous styling of sport utility vehicle
s tended to reject the allroad as being too little like either. The poor reputation for reliability and high repair cost of the air suspension system on the C5 generation has not helped.
Sales had a slight increase in 2004, due to the availability of the less expensive Diesel engine, but fell again in 2005. Audi stopped production of the allroad in July of that year. Although the model continued to be available for sale throughout 2006 in Europe, there was no 2006 model year for North America.
The Audi A6 allroad quattro again features adaptive air suspension and new quattro permanent four-wheel drive
system. The A6 allroad is powered by a choice of two Fuel Stratified Injection
(FSI) petrol engine
s, a 3.2 L V6
and a 4.2 L V8
, and two TDI
diesel engine
s, a 180 PS (132 kW) 2.7 L and a 233 PS (171 kW) 3.0 L. The tiptronic gearbox is standard on the 4.2 V8 and the 2.7 TDI, but optional on the 3.2 FSI and 3.0 TDI. The new 6-speed tiptronic transmission system converts high-torque engine power into both sporty performance and operating convenience, with crisp, fast gear changes. Advanced electronics respond efficiently to all driver input in both D (Drive) and S (Sport) programmes, helping to prevent unwanted upshifts when cornering. The five-mode air suspension can be raised by up to 60 mm (2.36 in) to provide ground clearance of 185 mm (7.28 in) which is better than the older four-mode. The car features a number of off-road styling cues including larger bumpers and sills.
In some European markets, the new A6 allroad quattro is more expensive than the larger Audi Q7
, but air suspension is an expensive option in the Q7. In its native country, Germany, it costs a few hundred Euros less than the Q7.
The second generation is currently not available in North America
, most likely due to competition from Audi's own Q5
and Q7
SUVs.
Crossover SUV
A crossover SUV is a vehicle built on a car platform and combining, in highly variable degrees, features of a sport utility vehicle with features from a passenger vehicle, especially those of a station wagon or hatchback.Using the unibody construction typical of passenger vehicles, the crossover...
estate
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
executive car
Executive car
Executive car is a British term that refers to a car's size and is used to describe an automobile larger than a large family car. In official use, the term is adopted by EuroNCAP, a European organisation founded to test car safety.- History :...
s, manufactured and marketed by German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
automaker Audi
Audi
Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....
since 1999. Based on the Avant version of the Audi A6
Audi A6
The Audi A6 is an executive car marketed by the German automaker Audi AG, now in its fourth generation. As the successor to the Audi 100, the A6 is manufactured in Neckarsulm, Germany – and is available in saloon, and wagon configurations, the latter marketed by Audi as the Avant.All generations...
, the A6 allroad quattro remains in production for Europe, but not for North America as of December, 2010.
allroad quattro (C5, 1999-2005)
The first generation allroad shares its platform with the second generation "C5" Audi A6Audi A6
The Audi A6 is an executive car marketed by the German automaker Audi AG, now in its fourth generation. As the successor to the Audi 100, the A6 is manufactured in Neckarsulm, Germany – and is available in saloon, and wagon configurations, the latter marketed by Audi as the Avant.All generations...
executive car
Executive car
Executive car is a British term that refers to a car's size and is used to describe an automobile larger than a large family car. In official use, the term is adopted by EuroNCAP, a European organisation founded to test car safety.- History :...
, and its rear end is almost identical to the A6 Avant, the estate
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
version. The main differences are an advanced air suspension
Suspension (vehicle)
Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose — contributing to the car's roadholding/handling and braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants...
system, larger wheels with all-terrain tyres, and flared and unpainted bumpers, giving it a distinct appearance and more overall flexibility over varying terrain.
Audi's trademark Torsen
Torsen
Torsen is a type of differential used in automobiles. It was invented by American Vernon Gleasman and manufactured by the Gleason Corporation. Torsen is a contraction of Torque-Sensing...
-based quattro permanent four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4×4 is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously...
system is standard equipment for all versions.
Off-road capabilities
The Audi allroad was designed with the capability to tackle rough road conditions in mind; its standard adjustable air suspension system can lift the car high enough to provide 208 mm (8 in) of ground clearance and a low-range mode [an option with manual-shift gearbox in non-USA vehicles], absent from other quattro-equipped vehicles, can be selected with the touch of a button. When used together, the two systems made it possible for the allroad to complete an official Land RoverLand Rover
Land Rover is a British car manufacturer with its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom which specialises in four-wheel-drive vehicles. It is owned by the Indian company Tata Motors, forming part of their Jaguar Land Rover group...
test-course, thus far it is the only car-based SUV that has been proven capable of doing so in testing.
Conversely, the air suspension can lower the vehicle down to only 142 mm (6 in) above road level, and simultaneously stiffen the spring and damper rates to provide a sporty driving experience, much like that of the conventional A6
Audi A6
The Audi A6 is an executive car marketed by the German automaker Audi AG, now in its fourth generation. As the successor to the Audi 100, the A6 is manufactured in Neckarsulm, Germany – and is available in saloon, and wagon configurations, the latter marketed by Audi as the Avant.All generations...
with the sports suspension.
Engines
Audi's 2.7 L, twin-turboTurbocharger
A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance...
V6
V6 engine
A V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of three cylinders, usually set at either a right angle or an acute angle to each other, with all six pistons driving a common crankshaft...
gasoline engine with 250 PS of power and 350 newton metre of peak torque was available initially, alongside the 2.5 L TDI diesel unit with 132 kW (180 PS) and 370 Nm (273 ft·lbf) torque. A variant of the corporate 4.2 V8 gasoline engine, shared with the Audi S4 (B6/B7), was made available in 2003, and a less powerful TDI (163 bhp) followed in 2004.
Sales
Sport utility vehicle
A sport utility vehicle is a generic marketing term for a vehicle similar to a station wagon, but built on a light-truck chassis. It is usually equipped with four-wheel drive for on- or off-road ability, and with some pretension or ability to be used as an off-road vehicle. Not all four-wheel...
s tended to reject the allroad as being too little like either. The poor reputation for reliability and high repair cost of the air suspension system on the C5 generation has not helped.
Sales had a slight increase in 2004, due to the availability of the less expensive Diesel engine, but fell again in 2005. Audi stopped production of the allroad in July of that year. Although the model continued to be available for sale throughout 2006 in Europe, there was no 2006 model year for North America.
A6 allroad quattro (C6, 2006-2011)
Audi announced the second generation allroad in the spring of 2005 and released it in the summer of 2006. This new model is called the Audi A6 allroad quattro (unlike the previous version, which was merely called Audi allroad quattro, with no reference to the A6 nomenclature).The Audi A6 allroad quattro again features adaptive air suspension and new quattro permanent four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4×4 is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously...
system. The A6 allroad is powered by a choice of two Fuel Stratified Injection
Gasoline direct injection
In internal combustion engines, gasoline direct injection , also known as petrol direct injection or direct petrol injection, is a variant of fuel injection employed in modern two-stroke and four-stroke gasoline engines...
(FSI) petrol engine
Petrol engine
A petrol engine is an internal combustion engine with spark-ignition, designed to run on petrol and similar volatile fuels....
s, a 3.2 L V6
V6 engine
A V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of three cylinders, usually set at either a right angle or an acute angle to each other, with all six pistons driving a common crankshaft...
and a 4.2 L V8
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
, and two TDI
Turbocharged Direct Injection
TDI or Turbocharged Direct Injection is a design of turbodiesel engines, which feature turbocharging and cylinder-direct fuel injection, developed and produced by Volkswagen Group. These TDI engines are widely used in all mainstream Volkswagen Group marques of passenger cars and light commercial...
diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
s, a 180 PS (132 kW) 2.7 L and a 233 PS (171 kW) 3.0 L. The tiptronic gearbox is standard on the 4.2 V8 and the 2.7 TDI, but optional on the 3.2 FSI and 3.0 TDI. The new 6-speed tiptronic transmission system converts high-torque engine power into both sporty performance and operating convenience, with crisp, fast gear changes. Advanced electronics respond efficiently to all driver input in both D (Drive) and S (Sport) programmes, helping to prevent unwanted upshifts when cornering. The five-mode air suspension can be raised by up to 60 mm (2.36 in) to provide ground clearance of 185 mm (7.28 in) which is better than the older four-mode. The car features a number of off-road styling cues including larger bumpers and sills.
In some European markets, the new A6 allroad quattro is more expensive than the larger Audi Q7
Audi Q7
The Audi Q7 is a full-size luxury crossover SUV unveiled in September 2005 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Production of the Q7 began in autumn of 2005 in Bratislava, Slovakia. It is the first SUV offering from Audi and went on sale in 2007. Later, Audi's second SUV, the Q5, was unveiled as a 2009...
, but air suspension is an expensive option in the Q7. In its native country, Germany, it costs a few hundred Euros less than the Q7.
The second generation is currently not available in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, most likely due to competition from Audi's own Q5
Audi Q5
The Audi Q5 is a compact crossover SUV which was released by German automaker Audi for the 2009 model year. It is built using the new Audi MLP platform which debuted in the 2007 Audi A5 coupé. The Q5 is the second Audi model in the "Q" range, after the full-size Q7...
and Q7
Audi Q7
The Audi Q7 is a full-size luxury crossover SUV unveiled in September 2005 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Production of the Q7 began in autumn of 2005 in Bratislava, Slovakia. It is the first SUV offering from Audi and went on sale in 2007. Later, Audi's second SUV, the Q5, was unveiled as a 2009...
SUVs.