Audi A6 Allroad revealed

The Audi A6 Allroad will cost from £43,145 when the order books open next month. The high-riding variant of the Audi A6 sits 60mm higher than the standard car, and features styling changes including different front grille and bumper designs, skid plates, roof rails and protection around the exhaust.

The new A6 Allroad is 4940mm long, 1900mm wide and 1470mm tall, making it a few millimetres bigger than the A6 Avant. It has a wheelbase of 2910mm.

Aluminium components make up roughly 20 per cent of its body, and total weight has been reduced by as much as 70kgs compared with the previous model.

Setting the A6 Allroad apart from other cars in the model range are the trim strips on the side sills, flared fenders and the single-frame grille with vertical slats.

The underbody gets stainless steel covers pat the front and rear of the car, and the exhaust system ends in two large, flattened tailpipes. The roof rails are mounted on double bars and the wheel well edges, bumpers and sills are painted in a contrasting colour.

Interior cues differentiating the A6 Allroad include the carpeting and instrument panel, which are black throughout.

The new A6 Allroad will initially be available with a choice of four V6 engines – one TFSI petrol and three TDI oil burners. All are three-litre turbo engines and are fitted with stop-start and thermal management systems.

The 3.0 TFSI produces 306bhp and 324lb ft of torque. It accelerates the A6 allroad quattro from 0-62mph in 5.9sec on the way to an electronically limited top speed of 155mph. It returns a claimed 31.7mpg.

The three variants of the 3.0 TDI produce 201bhp/331lb ft, 241bhp/427lb ft and 308bhp/479lb ft.

The most frugal 201bhp diesel returns a claimed 46mpg or 159g/km of CO2. Audi is preparing a low-emissions version of the 241bhp diesel.

The 308bhp diesel accelerates from 0-62mph in 5.6sec and has a top speed of 155mph. It comes with an eight-speed tiptronic transmission, whereas the other three engines are paired with a seven-speed S tronic gearbox.

The new A6 Allroad comes with Audi's drive select system, so the driver can vary the function of the steering, the air suspension, the throttle pedal, the automatic transmission, the sport differential, the automatic air conditioning, the lighting and the adaptive cruise control.

The adaptive air suspension, which combines air suspension with controlled damping, comes as standard. It lowers the body by 15mm at high speed and raises it by 35mm at the push of a button. It comes with 18-inch, five-spoke alloys, although 19in and 20in wheels are options.

The luggage compartment as a capacity of 565 litres, or 1680 litres with the rear seats folded down. The car has a rail system, tensioning straps and load-securing kit to keep luggage in place during journeys.