January 10, 2012 - Written by Richard Melick, Photos by Michael James Buchanan
As Audi fans, we all know the original A6-based allroad quattro that was brought across the pond roughly a decade ago. With its "ugly duckling" looks, it was a love it or hate it kind of vehicle. Its only real European competition at the time was from Volvo's now extinct all-wheel drive "Cross Country". With its adaptive air ride suspension, toughed up underpinnings, and overall rugged looks, the allroad became one of the first successful European crossovers in the United States. It was the Avant for the modern parent, and while popular with many Audi fans, it sadly stopped coming to our shores in 2005. In doing so it left a gap in the market which Audi filled with their first SUV, the much larger Q7, and then eventually the Q5.