Audi allroad anniversary

While SUVs across numerous categories have become the most popular vehicle style on the roads, when the term SUV, or Sports Utility Vehicle was first used, it referred to vehicles like dualcab utilities (largely in the US as they were not as prolific Down Under as they are now) and other more ‘rough and ready’ vehicles with the capacity to leave the blacktop.

These were not necessarily fully fledged 4WDs, but their ability to navigate rough roads and tracks gave them an obvious appeal – particularly in a country like Australia.

When the Audi allroad quattro appeared – 25 years ago – the equation changed significantly, bringing the ride and performance the brand was known for in a package that was just as comfortable and capable off the blacktop as it was on it.

The first allroad ‘crossover model’ debuted in January 1998 at the Detroit Motor Show, aimed squarely at the new but growing SUV market that was up to that point, devoid of a premium entrant. Based on the A6 Avant quattro (C5 model) it featured height-adjustable air suspension before that was commonplace, as well as underbody protection plates in aluminium and distinctive colour-contrasting bumpers and flared guards to house the larger, five spoke wheels.

The allroad quattro was available with a choice of six-cylinder TDI, a 2.7-litre six-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine and a range-topping 4.2-litre V8 (with power going down to all four wheels as per its quattro pedigree). The original allroad quattro was even available internationally with an optional low-range transmission, although the point of the vehicle was not to create a specialised off-road vehicle, but rather a luxurious yet practical passenger vehicle with the capacity to go where luxury vehicles had previously feared to tread.

The combination proved to be a winner and between May 2000 and 2005, a total of 88,174 first-generation Audi A6 allroad quattros were sold. The car graced the very first cover of Audi Magazine Australia in 2000 before making its Australian debut the following year. A second generation A6 allroad followed and the third and current generation touched down in 2019 – the unique combination endearing it to a loyal following who favour the luxury Audi product with the versatility this particular model provided.

The combination of qualities proved so popular that it was applied to an A4 allroad quattro which arrived in Australia in first generation guise in 2012. Now, although Audi’s Q models have taken up the mantle of the brand’s ‘go anywhere’ performers, both the A6 allroad quattro and the A4 allroad quattro continue to enjoy a fiercely loyal following in Australia.