Audi A4 Allroad quattro ready to roll

The Audi A4 Allroad quattro - launches at Geneva in March

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It looks like Geneva is going to be more of a highlight than the recent Detroit Motor Show, which turned in to something of a sombre occasion. No surprise really, considering the US auto industry is in the worst shape of any in the world (been there, done that – remember BL in the ’70s?).

But Europe, despite the current economic woes, makes the best cars in the world, and is going to be out in force in March. Cars like the  Lamborghini LP 670-4 SV, the Saab 9-3X, the Mini Cooper Cabriolet JCW and the Rolls Royce EX200 (RR4) are just a few we already know about, and you can add to that mix the Audi A4 Allroad quattro.

The Audi Allroad has been around much longer than its full-blown SUV offerings, the Q7 and the Q5. But despite the impression that the Allroad is just a ‘Wannabe’ SUV, it’s much more than that. It really is a saloon car that can do a lot of what an SUV can. True, it doesn’t have all the trickery and ground clearance to tackle the really rough stuff, but for 95% of owners the A4 Allroad would be a perfect solution.

The A4 Allroad gets jacked-up suspension (180mm), beefier looking front and rear treatments (flared arches, new grill and stainless-steel skid pans), the expected ‘Allroad’ logos and trim and a nice wipe-clean boot liner to clear away the mess of your ‘Active lifestyle’.

Engines are a choice of 2.0 or 3.0 litre diesels, and a petrol 2.0 litre, with a 6-speed manual on the small diesel and a 7-speed S-Tronic on the others. AWD is standard, with power split 60:40 in favour of the rear, but capable of putting up to 85% to the back or 65% to the front as grip levels require.

The standard cars are reasonably well-specced and offer climate control, MMI and 17 inch alloys. As always, there is a plethora of options, but the standard spec is reasonable, and the starting price will be £29.5k when the Audi A4 Allroad quattro goes on sale in the UK in May.

By Cars UK