Audi announces pair of almost-off-roaders

Wednesday, 19 February 2020

Audi New Zealand has confirmed two new models are arriving in local dealerships, designed to be comfortable in the middle of the city as well as bouncing across farmland.

The first is the A6 allroad quattro, which builds on the base of the latest A6. That means a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 paired with a 48-volt mild hybrid electrical system, offering no less than 700Nm of torque along with 257kW of power.

Sprinting to 100kmh takes 5.2 seconds thanks to the instant twist of the electric compressor and quattro all-wheel drive.

The new A6 allroad, in its natural habitat.

The 48-volt system also allows the engine to switch off entirely when the vehicle is coasting at speed and offers zero-emission driving up to 22kmh.

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It's happy to haul 2.5 tons and has up to 1680 litres of interior luggage space. Who needs an SUV?

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The A1 citycarver is probably mostly at home navigating muddy berms but those chunky wheel arches indicate it could handle a fair bit more.

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That 'allroad' addition to the name hints at the wagon's off-roading credentials, heralded by the 45mm increase to the ride height, pushing ground clearance to 139mm. Towing is still rated at 2.5 tons.

After something a little more compact? Check out the A1 Citycarver, a jacked version of the new A1.

The Citycarver is powered by the 1.0-litre turbo triple, offering 85kW and 200Nm. Quick off the line this is not, hitting 100kmh in 9.9 seconds, but the Citycarver isn't designed to be hot.

Instead it's a compact hatchback and, as its name suggests, a city car. Audi says it is for the 'urban jungle', so it is still a front-driver and we wouldn't expect it to expect to tackle big trails, but it should actually be more than capable of navigating the family farm thanks to an increased ride height and wheels up to 18 inches in size.

Price for the A6 allroad quattro starts at NZ$134,900 while the A1 Citycarver will set buyers back $45,900. Both are available now.

If you want even more performance, hold out for the 'Bahn-storming new RS 6 Avant, due later this year.

It boasts a mild hybrid-enhanced 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine with 441kW and 800Nm of twist. Quattro all-wheel drive is standard, as usual, allowing the hi-po wagon to hit 100kmh in a mere 3.6 seconds. Pricing is set to start at $218,900.