Audi A4 Allroad long-term test

• The car Audi A4 Allroad 3.0 TDI 218 quattro Sport
• Run by Alan Taylor-Jones, new cars editor
• Why it’s here To see if a practical family holdall with moderate off-road ability can mean something other than an SUV
• Needs to Provide good long-distance comfort and SUV versatility, while being refined, comfortable and frugal

Price £42,945 Price as tested £52,805 Miles 4417 Official economy 55.4mpg Test economy 41.5mpg Options fitted Technology Pack (£1395), Parking Assistance Pack (£1350), Comfort and Sound Pack (£1295), electrically adjustable front seats with driver’s memory (£950), damping control (£900), folding towbar (£850), 19in alloy wheels (£750), front sports seats in Milano leather (£750), matrix LED headlights (£650), Quantum Grey solid paint (£645), folding door mirrors with auto-dimming and memory function (£325)

12 September 2018 – soft-roading only, please

The Allroad might come with plenty of black plastic cladding around the bottom of its bumpers, wheel arches and down its body sides, but that hasn’t made it impervious to damage. Although I hadn’t noticed previously, there is some light scuffing to the underside of the front bumper and one of the (faux) grilles had popped out of place.

While I dare say a good scrub would dislodge the chalk that’s currently ingrained in the black plastic, the grille proved far trickier as there was no way to easily get behind it to push it back into place. Thankfully, a trip back to Audi to get a cracked side window replaced meant the grille could be massaged back into place.

The moral of this story? The Allroad might be good at dealing with slippery surfaces, but it just doesn’t have the approach angles and ground clearance needed for more serious off-road conditions.

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