With the Audi Allroad quattro wagon due out later this year, Volkswagen will finally get into the market already occupied by Mercedes and Subaru and others.
According to Audi, Allroad quattro is the "answer for drivers whose demands don't stop when the either/or decision between an off-roader and a road-going car has to be made. In the Audi Allroad quattro, the company says, drivers will "enjoy a perfect blend of the finest technology from both words."
The trick here, of course, is that the Allroad quattro takes the considerable power from its 2.7-litre, turbocharged V6 (250 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque) and sends it to whichever of the four wheels has grip.
This extended traction will be familiar to anyone who's encountered Audi quattro all-wheel-drive system before, but for the Allroad the company has added a driver-engaged Low Range transmission as an option on the manual gearbox models. This is meant for those times when the vehicle is actually taken offroad.
Along with the all-wheel-drive system, the ability to go on just about any surface will be increased by the Allroad's four-level air suspension, which uses fore and aft air spring struts controlled by separate height sensors.