Rugged new Audi A6 Allroad revealed

Audi has unwrapped its fourth-generation Audi A6 Allroad quattro that it hopes will appeal to those who hate SUVs but regularly venture off-road.

Created to rival the Volvo V90 Cross Country, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain and the significantly cheaper Subaru Outback, the latest Audi A6 Allroad quattro arrives in Europe later this month and should be on sale in Australia before the end of this year.

Featuring the usual Allroad styling cues, the rough-and-ready A6 Avant wagon gets plastic body cladding, underbody armour, increased ground clearance and standard 18-inch wheels, with the option of larger 21-inch rims.

Aiding it when the going gets rough, the A6 Allroad comes with standard air suspension and adaptive dampers that in regular 'auto' or 'comfort' modes offer 139mm of ground clearance.

Reach a rocky or rutted track and the air suspension can raise the A6 Allroad's body out of harm's way a further 30mm in 'offroad' mode (limited to 80km/h) and another 15mm in the 'lift' setting if you keep speeds below 35km/h.

At European highway speeds of over 120km/h the same suspension also lowers by 15mm for better aerodynamics and efficiency.

Safety in the fourth-gen A6 Allroad is said to have been enhanced off road thanks to the introduction of a better ABS system that is more adept at stopping in loose surfaces. There's also improved traction thanks to tweaks to the quattro all-wheel drive and a new tilt angle detection that warns the driver if you're at risk of toppling over.

Fresh new tech for the 2019 A6 Allroad includes optional dynamic all-wheel steering that boosts agility. There's also a sport differential that, at an extra cost, adds a rear-bias to the handling in 'dynamic' driving mode.

Under the bonnet there's the choice of just one engine for the new mud-loving A6 Allroad – a 3.0-litre V6 TDI turbo-diesel that is available with 170kW/500Nm, 210kW/620Nm or 257kW/700Nm.

All A6 Allroads come with the same eight-speed automatic transmission and none of them hang around off the line with even the least powerful model capable of a 0-100km/h time of just 6.7 seconds, while the mightiest version can nail the same benchmark in just 5.2 seconds.

Already available in other Audi models, the new mild hybrid system combines a 48-volt belt-driven alternator starter and a lithium-ion battery that recovers up to 8kW of power during braking.

This enables the A6 to coast engine-off over a wider range of speeds while start-stop now activated from 22km/h.

This system reduces fuel consumption to around 5.8L/100km for the most efficient variant.

Climb into the A6 Allroad and Audi offers three colour palettes – black, beige or brown.

Standard is black cloth and half leather, with the brown and beige offered as leather options.

If you prefer a sportier feel for your SUV alternative, Audi will throw in a pair of Alcantara/leather heavily bolstered sport seats.

Other options worth considering are a full panoramic glass roof, an air filtration system and massage seats.

Like the rest of the A6 and A7 models, range-topping trims get the 10.1-inch infotainment system in place of the standard 8.6-inch screen.

Commemorating two decades of the rugged Audi wagons, in some markets a special '20 Years Allroad' limited edition will be sold that is available in three special exterior paint colours (green, white or brown) and rides on 19-inch wheels. Inside, the anniversary model gets the aforementioned sport seats, aluminium inlays and illuminated door sills.

Pricing is expected to be announced for the Australian market ahead of the A6 Allroad's launch around the fourth quarter of this year.

Following the decision not to import the current fifth-generation A6 wagon, aside from the Porsche-hunting RS 6, the A6 Allroad will be the only wagon-bodied A6 offered Down Under.