Audi's Allroad badge dates back to 1999, when it first appeared on a mid-size A6 wagon wearing a more rugged look and riding on a lifted suspension. It's a trend Volvo started the year before with its XC70, but both companies have been successful at marketing the lifted luxury station wagon as a concept.
Since 2009, it's the A4 Allroad that has carried that mantle in North America for Audi, and this latest version is entering its second year following a 2017 debut riding, once again, on a platform shared with the A4 sedan.
Car enthusiasts like us will tell you every day how much we miss station wagons since SUVs and crossovers stole the family vehicle marketplace away from that old-school body style. But vehicles like the Allroad represent the best of both worlds, combining a more styling car body with the added ground clearance of a crossover, which is a real benefit in snowy winter driving, and any time you might have to traverse a rutted dirt track to, say, a cottage.
Updates for 2018 are minor: the mid-range Progressiv model gains LED headlights and high beam assist as standard, and the top-end Technik model adds Audi connect assistance and security services to its list of included items.
Other new stuff includes the addition of a backup camera and passive keyless entry to the Komfort trim's optional convenience package, while a comfort interior package offered in Progressiv and Technik trims adds rear-door retractable sun shades.
Audi has long been a fan of turbocharged four-cylinder engines, and as such a 2.0L good for 252 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque is the only one on offer in the Allroad. It comes matched with the brand's seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and puts the engine's power to the road in concert with Quattro AWD.
As before, the Allroad comes in Komfort, Progressiv and Technik trims, the entry-level model coming with the same list of standard kit as last year. That includes 18-inch wheels and tires, seven-inch infotainment screen, panoramic sunroof, heated side mirrors, power-adjustable front seats, 10-speaker stereo, power tailgate, bi-xenon headlights, selectable drive modes and Audi's smartphone interface.
Progressiv trim adds its LED headlights and high-beam assist to a features list that still includes navigation with an 8.3-inch infotainment display, backup camera, heated steering wheel, power-folding side mirrors and driver's seat memory.
At the top of the range, the Technik model's returning items include heated rear seats, blind spot assist with rear cross traffic alert and pre-sense rear, top-view camera, the slick virtual cockpit configurable instrument cluster and ambient interior lighting with customizable colours.
We expect the 2018 Allroad's fuel consumption estimates will be the same (or at least quite similar to) as last year's figures of 10.2/8.3 L/100 km (city/highway).
This vehicle has not yet been reviewed
