Luxury sport wagons are perhaps the most versatile vehicles, since they can tackle the trail as competently as the track. Audi’s new A4-based Allroad is so thoroughly dialed-in that it feels planted on any surface, and in all conditions. Its 34mm of extra ground clearance over the A4 help it manage ruts and rocks, and its transmission can decide, based on your driving style and the car’s trajectory and stability, whether it will need to divert power to one corner or another to maintain traction and control.
But the true principle behind the new Allroad is fuel economy. It’ll manage 25 combined, while still delivering a solid 252 horsepower. The solution: a trick transmission that can flip seamlessly back and forth between front-drive-only and dynamic all-wheel-drive. The result: The perfect car for everyone who’s outgrown his Outback.
Engine: 2.0-liter 4-cylinder
Horsepower: 252
Torque: 273 lb-ft
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic; on-demand front- and all-wheel drive
0-60: 5.9 seconds
Top Speed: 130 mph
Curb Weight: 3,825 lbs
