What is it?
2007 Audi A6 allroad quattro
What's special about it?
Basically an upscale take on the Subaru Outback, Audi's allroad quattro wagon was originally a stopgap substitute for an SUV. In fact, it was more off-road-worthy than most of the SUVs it competed with, though it could never match their flexible interior designs and irresistible truck styling, at least not in the U.S.
Nevertheless, we had expected the allroad to return to the U.S. for 2007 with current A6 Avant (a.k.a. wagon) underpinnings, especially after the concept version made its world debut in Detroit last year. But now we're told the allroad may never return to our shores.
"If both the A6 Avant and Q7 SUV show success in the U.S., we could decide to bring the allroad to the American market," said Peter Hirschfeld, head of product marketing for the A6. "But right now, the Q7 is priority one. If there is room for the allroad, this can be easily and quickly decided."
Until then, the Audi A6 allroad quattro, as it's now called, will be offered only to European buyers. Hirschfeld told us that research indicated that previous-generation European allroad owners weren't taking their vehicles off-road very often even though the capability was there.
"Our customers just wanted a premium, C-segment, flexible automobile with different styling," he noted. So Audi focused on making the second-gen allroad easier and more rewarding to drive on the street.
It still has an adaptive air suspension and 2.6 inches more ground clearance than a regular A6 wagon, but in place of the finicky twin-turbo V6 that formerly served as the base engine, '07 model gets the A6 Avant's direct-injected 255-hp, 3.2-liter V6. The Q7's 350-hp, 4.2-liter V8, also direct-injected, will be available as well.
The V8 is likely the better bet of these two, given the A6 allroad's inevitable heft. Audi didn't release a weight spec, but consider that the standard V6-equipped A6 wagon is already pushing 4,200 pounds. However, with a pair of diesel V6s also available to European buyers, it's hard to imagine many customers going the gasoline route anyway.
What's Edmunds' take?
We think it's unlikely the A6 allroad will come back to the U.S. A regular A6 wagon starts at $47K. The V8-equipped, seven-passenger Q7 will start at $50K. That just doesn't leave any room for a niche model like the allroad. — Erin Riches
2007 Audi A6 allroad quattro
What's special about it?
Basically an upscale take on the Subaru Outback, Audi's allroad quattro wagon was originally a stopgap substitute for an SUV. In fact, it was more off-road-worthy than most of the SUVs it competed with, though it could never match their flexible interior designs and irresistible truck styling, at least not in the U.S.
Nevertheless, we had expected the allroad to return to the U.S. for 2007 with current A6 Avant (a.k.a. wagon) underpinnings, especially after the concept version made its world debut in Detroit last year. But now we're told the allroad may never return to our shores.
"If both the A6 Avant and Q7 SUV show success in the U.S., we could decide to bring the allroad to the American market," said Peter Hirschfeld, head of product marketing for the A6. "But right now, the Q7 is priority one. If there is room for the allroad, this can be easily and quickly decided."
Until then, the Audi A6 allroad quattro, as it's now called, will be offered only to European buyers. Hirschfeld told us that research indicated that previous-generation European allroad owners weren't taking their vehicles off-road very often even though the capability was there.
"Our customers just wanted a premium, C-segment, flexible automobile with different styling," he noted. So Audi focused on making the second-gen allroad easier and more rewarding to drive on the street.
It still has an adaptive air suspension and 2.6 inches more ground clearance than a regular A6 wagon, but in place of the finicky twin-turbo V6 that formerly served as the base engine, '07 model gets the A6 Avant's direct-injected 255-hp, 3.2-liter V6. The Q7's 350-hp, 4.2-liter V8, also direct-injected, will be available as well.
The V8 is likely the better bet of these two, given the A6 allroad's inevitable heft. Audi didn't release a weight spec, but consider that the standard V6-equipped A6 wagon is already pushing 4,200 pounds. However, with a pair of diesel V6s also available to European buyers, it's hard to imagine many customers going the gasoline route anyway.
What's Edmunds' take?
We think it's unlikely the A6 allroad will come back to the U.S. A regular A6 wagon starts at $47K. The V8-equipped, seven-passenger Q7 will start at $50K. That just doesn't leave any room for a niche model like the allroad. — Erin Riches
Add A Comment »