'Audicruising' Allroad Quattro is all-in-one!

2014 Audi Allroad Quattro is a sight to behold when it comes to luxury vehicles.

Aside from its elegancy and beauty, I would conveniently call it all-in-one utility vehicle as you can go from business meeting, to dinner, to the villages. Either a smooth or off roads, the car fits the bill.

The aesthetic design of the exterior is eye catching yet not too flashy, sophisticated enough to fit your class yet rugged enough to survive dirty roads without damage to its credibility.

Audi’s Allroad is a sort of Subaru Outback of luxury cars, which comes with a 1.5-inch suspension lift.

Audi essentially skipped the first wave of the SUV craze, more than a decade ago, but it did concede a bit to their popularity with the original 2001-2006 Allroad—essentially an A6 Avant wagon with slightly higher ride height and a touch of rugged trim.

The automaker has kept to the same formula with the current Allroad, introduced last year, but this time the Allroad is a bit tidier—and based on the Audi A4. In form, and in function, it’s still a station wagon (or sport wagon as the marketing people might want you to hear). And while it does offer some of the talents of a comparably sized utility vehicle, it carries forward with more carlike performance and a lower, sportier look than Audi’s own excellent Q5 crossover.

Under the cloak of some cladding and the extra promise of a little more trail-running lift is the Audi A4 Avant; this time around we’re only getting the Allroad, which is upstyled to connect the dots between the A4 lineup and the Q5 crossover. And the Outbacked treatment works very well, with its raised ride height, distinctive lower-body look, and aluminum exterior trim. The Allroad has a stronger stance from the side, while at the front there’s a little more presence, probably due to the vertically ribbed grille. Trim LED headlamps are chamfered at the top corners for a subdued, sophisticated appearance across the nose, while wide fog lamps add substance down below. Most models get a matte-finish cladding for the lower body and around the wheel wells, but a higher-gloss look is available.

Going down to the interior, the analog, cockpit-like gauge cluster isn’t any more complicated than it needs to be, while Audi’s controller-and-screen-based MMI system is over at the top and middle of the dash. The look is livened up with aluminum trim, and you can choose between several wood trims if that’s not your thing. Overall, the A4’s dash and controls have a high-quality look and feel that extends Audi’s streak of excellent interiors.

The 2.0-liter TFSI turbocharged four-cylinder engine makes nine extra horsepower for 2014—220 hp—but it keeps its 258 lb-ft rating. It’s teamed to a responsive eight-speed automatic transmission, with a sport mode, and the latest Quattro all-wheel drive system is standard. This year’s bump in power has knocked a tenth of a second off the dash to 60 mph—now 6.4 seconds, officially. From the driver’s seat, the 3,900-pound Allroad responds well with any prod from the right foot, and the transmission doesn’t hesitate to shift early when you don’t need the revs. Petrol mileage is officially 20 mpg city, 27 highway according to the EPA.

Despite its stockier stance, it seems to handle a bit better with its big 18-inch wheels and taller-profile tyres, which give it better stability than the standard A4 can offer. Though it rides about 1.5 inches higher, the Allroad’s suspension loads up more predictably, and the Quattro system can send up to 85 percent of torque to the rear wheels (60 percent in normal driving). Like the four-door, the Allroad can be fitted with dynamic variable-ratio steering and Drive Select, which tailors its electric power steering, transmission, throttle and shock settings for sporty or soft driving.

Seating in the Allroad is excellent, although the tight back seat is a limiting factor. In front, even the base seats provide great support for longer highway trips, with just enough side support, too. In back, the seating position is a bit low, and perhaps better contoured than in most crossovers, but there’s simply no place for knees and feet for taller adults. With 27.6 cubic feet behind the rear bench, and an easy-folding seat arrangement, the Allroad is great for making room for weekend projects and other cargo needs. Flip everything forward and you have up to 50 cubic feet.

The Allroad’s standard equipment set includes leather upholstery; aluminum interior trim; power front seats; a panoramic sunroof; satellite radio; and MMI, Audi’s multi-media interface. Options include iPod/USB connectivity; a power tailgate; 19-inch wheels and tires; adaptive headlights; Bluetooth; wood interior trim; 505-watt Bang & Olufsen audio; sport seats and shift paddles; and a navigation system. The Convenience Package, with its Audi music interface, HomeLink universal garage-door opener, the so-called driver information system, and Bluetooth connectivity, has been packed in as part of the Allroad’s standard equipment for 2014.

Audi Connect is another noteworthy extra; the feature allows customers can tap into a built-in 3G connection that turns the Allroad into a rolling wireless hotspot for up to 8 devices, and to enable Google local searches via MMI. The connection also feeds input to the navigation system (with traffic and weather information) to render maps from Google Earth and Google Street View in stunning, crisp detail. While we have some gripes about the interface, the display features together are a game-changer.

So get onboard and go Audicruising!