AUDI Allroad Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

Audi launched the first generation of the A6 allroad quattro nameplate in 1989, and exactly two decades after the introduction of this model, it unveiled the fourth iteration of it in 2019.

When Audi launched the first generation of the A6 allroad quattro, it was a daring move. Nobody could really know if a station wagon with air suspension would meet customers' needs. But they loved it. The car drove well on regular roads and could tackle some unpaved ones. Moreover, it proved very effective in snow-covered areas thanks to the higher ground clearance combined with the all-wheel-drive system. Then Audi was convinced that it was on the right path and continued producing the A6 allroad for every other generation of its mid-size sedan.

Audi made the A6 allroad quattro as a version of the regular Audi A6 Avant. It was only available as a station wagon and shared many parts with its street-oriented sibling. Still, it had some unique details that made it stand apart from the rest of its A6 stablemates. At the front, the single-frame grille featured a satin-chromed surrounding, while the lower dam was adorned by a light-gray trim that mimicked an underbody shield. Still, the automaker kept the massive side scoops that cooled the front brakes, carried over from the rest of the A6 range. From its profile, like its predecessors, the 2019 A6 allroad featured gray, unpainted plastic trims around the wheel arches continued on the sides with silver-painted skirts. The back of the vehicle looked like most of the A6 Avant range, bar the light-gray trims underneath the bumper.

Inside, Audi offered the A6 allroad quattro available in just three colors: black, beige, and brown. Its part-leather part-cloth upholstery was standard, while a full-leather interior was on the options list. Unlike its sedan and station wagon siblings, this crossover version of the A6 featured wood or aluminum trims. Fronting the driver was a digital instrument cluster named Audi Virtual Cockpit, which consisted of a screen where the rev counter and the speedometer flanked a center area where drivers could display the map from the navigation system or other data gathered from the onboard computer. Besides the upholstery, all seats were similar to those installed in the regular A6 Avant, featuring a split-folding bench seat in the back that could enlarge the trunk area.

The German automaker offered this version of the A6 fitted with a range of three V6 diesel engines paired with eight-speed automatic transmissions. A hybrid version was also on the list. Power went in all corners via a Torsen center differential. But the most essential part of the vehicle was its air suspension, which could raise the vehicle up to 45 millimeters (1.8") from its standard 139 mm (5.8") ground clearance.

The third generation of the A6 Allroad came on the market in 2012 to prove that Audi was right when it decided to introduce a crossover vehicle based on the Audi A6 Avant.

While it wasn't a real off-road vehicle, it could cope well with unpaved tracks and even tackle some mild off-road trials. Audi protected its bodywork with a few plastic molds all around and stainless-steel plates underneath the car. It sat low on the road than a regular SUV and even lower at higher speeds thanks to its standard pneumatic suspension.

From the outside, the carmaker carried over most of its body panels from the regular A6 Avant, but the bumpers, exaggerated wheel-arches molds and the side sills were unique for it. On top of the vehicle, the carmaker installed roof-rails if someone would need more trunk space. They were more useful to carry bikes and a canoe. Usually, nobody needs more trunk space if it has an A6 Station-wagon.

Inside, Audi installed a comfortable cabin fit for five full-grown adults with plenty of legroom for four and limited for the third, middle passenger from the bench. The dashboard sported a clean design with a pop-out infotainment screen that showed maps from Google Earth. Its user could have expanded the trunk thanks to the split-folding rear seats from 565 liters (20 cu-ft) to a whopping 1680 liters (59.3 cu-ft). It formed a completely flat area, good enough to be used as a bedroom.

Under the hood, Audi offered two gasoline and one diesel engine. The latter was available in four power outputs ranged between 204 hp and 320 hp. All versions sported an all-wheel-drive system with a locking center differential and hill descent control.

After the success recorded by the first generation of the Audi A6 Allroad, the German car-maker decided to build a successor for it and, in 2006, it launched a completely new Audi A6 Allroad.

At the time of its launch, the A6 Allroad quattro was the only vehicle of its kind on the road. It offered the spacious interior of the big A6 Avant, the all-wheel-drive system, and the luxurious interior of the Audi A6. On top of that, it could go to some unpaved roads where other cars could get stuck.

From the outside, the 2006 A6 Allroad kept some of the distinctive off-road elements such as the black plastic protection on the bottom of the bumpers and the side sills. The black plastic overfenders protected the wheel-wells as well. On top of the car, two silver roof-rails were fitted as standard on most of the trim levels.

The Allroad quattro offered the same interior room as the station-wagon. The interior was fitted with premium materials such as leather and wood grain on the center console. The aluminum covered the most part of the instrument panel, which was designed around the driver. The high-bolstered seats in the front promised good side support on slopes and while fast cornering.

The Allroad quattro was fitted with a choice of four engines: two types of diesel and two gasoline units. For the 2.7-liter diesel and the 4.2-liter gasoline units, the automatic transmission (Tiptronic) was standard, while for the 3.2-liter gasoline and 3.0-liter diesel, the 6-speed manual was standard.

The crossover category was not established clearly in 1999 when Audi showed its first generation of the Audi Allroad Quattro, but it was a commercial success.

After the successful launch of the second generation of the Audi A6 Avant, the German car-maker noticed a trend among its customers toward the all-wheel-drive vehicles that could cope with unpaved roads.

The car featured the same rounded shape, but with hard, black, plastic for the bumpers. Thus, the small scratches from bushes were no longer a problem for the paint. A set of new underbody shields was protecting the vehicle from other scratches and hits. A thin foil of hard aluminum was discretely showed at the bottom of the front bumper.

Inside, the interior remained unchanged from the standard A6 Avant, but the cargo area received fitted as standard four hooks to keep the storage area clean. No doubt about the interior space, since it had a long wheelbase and a straight roofline that wouldn't bother the rear seat passengers.

The drivetrain was, in most cases, a carry-over from the A6 range. There was a different transmission for the V6 diesel version, which could feature a low-range gear at a 1.54:1 ratio. That was not offered to the U.S. market, where only the gasoline V6 twin-turbo was available. A pneumatically adjustable suspension could raise the car and give more ground clearance so the car could tackle some light off-road with a ground clearance of up to 8.2” (208 mm).