DETROIT MOTOR SHOW: New Audi A4 crosses over

As night follows day, so the A4 allroad quattro follows the new Audi A4 sedan and wagon family.

Designed for light-duty off-roading, the higher-riding A4 allroad has a cult following in Europe and the B9 version will make its global debut there mid-year.

With the new A4 sedan now on sale in Australia ahead of its arrival in March, and the new A4 Avant arriving a month later in April, expect the new A4 allroad to hit local dealerships in the second half of next year.

With 34mm more ground clearance than the standard A4 Avant, the B9 allroad continues family traditions with wider wheel-arches, underbody protection at the front and the rear and vertical chrome grill slats, making it unfishable in traffic.

Its launch powertrains will give it between 100kW and 200kW at its launch, with engines ranging from a single TFSI 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol motor to five turbo-diesels.

All-wheel drive will be standard, and it relies on six-speed manual, seven-speed dual-clutch and eight-speed automatic transmissions to get its power from the engines to the differentials.

The only petrol engine on offer, the 2.0-litre TFSI, has 185kW of power and its 370Nm torque peak arrives at 1600rpm and stays until 4500.

Coupled to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, it gets the A4 allroad to 100km/h in 6.1 seconds and gives it a top speed of 246km/h, yet uses only 6.4L/100km on the NEDC cycle.

Things get oily with two versions of the 1968cc four-cylinder turbo-diesel, with the entry-level model delivering 120kW and 400Nm, while the more expensive variety has the same torque figure (though the peak stretches up from 1750-2750rpm to 1750-3000rpm) and another 20kW of power.

Both models have a claimed NEDC figure of 4.9L/100km, so around 128g/km of CO2, while the stronger of the two works to 100km/h in 7.8 seconds and runs out of puff at 220km/h.

While it won’t be there from the start, an even cheaper diesel variant will turn up not long after, with 110kW and 320Nm from the same basic powerplant.

The allroad will have two versions of the 3.0-litre V6 TDI as well, delivering a choice of 160kW/400Nm and 200kW and 600Nm. It’s clearly the one to have, if you can, and also comes with the eight-speed automatic transmission as standard.

It’s quick enough to hit 100km/h in 5.5 seconds and needs to be reigned in at 250km/h, despite using 5.3L/100km on the NEDC test.

The A4 allroad has standard steel springs and fixed dampers, along with five-link suspension set-ups at both ends. Audi expects most people to plump for the optional dynamic damper system, which can raise and lower the ride height. Its stance is 23mm higher than the standard A4, but it gathers another 11mm in ride height through a taller aspect ratio on its 17-inch to 19-inch alloy rims.

Certified to tow 2100kg in Europe, the A4 allroad follows the B9 in being lighter and more economical across the board than its predecessors.

It will carry over the core of the interior from the all-new A4 Avant, including the all-digital virtual cockpit instrument cluster, its 8.3-inch multimedia screen, fast LTE internet connection and an optional head-up display.

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