 |
|
|
|
Audi had this allroad quattro at the 1998 Detroit Motor Show. At present it is a concept car to test customer reactions but the allroad quattro is obviously quite practical and could be put into production very easily, being heavily based on the Audi A6 Avant. Loosely, it is a jacked up A6 Avant with raised, more rugged suspension. Bash-plates protect the vunerable mechanicals, and that slot in the front one is for cooling, not a winch, despite appearances.
The marketing seems undecided with
the car's name being `allroad' not `offroad' but the flier
describing the car as a "dirt-munching all-terrain vehicle
which fills the niche between a passenger car and an off-roader".
In other words, Audi is longing for a bit of the action with the the
Land Rover Freelander
Mercedes M-class,
Subaru Forester,
Toyota RAV4 etc.
"soft four wheel drives".
Without doubt this type of 4x4 is the trend of the 1990's.
The allroad quattro is powered by Audi's 2.8 litre six-cylinder engine with no less than five valves per cylinder (my car's engine has more valves than yours, so there). That's three inlets and two outlets per cylinder, it being harder to coax mixture into the cylinders at high rev's than to allow combustion products out.
Suspension is by a four-link system at the front and double-wishbones at the rear. The suspension can be raised and lowered electronically, through 145mm, 170mm and 195mm clearance, for more clearance "offroad" and better handling at high speed onroad. 17"-inch wheels are fitted but carry low-profile rubber so don't expect 33" overall diameter, but they are dual-tread pattern designs for as an onroad - offroad compromise.
Goodies inside include an Audi Plus navigation system with a 12.7cm (5") colour screen, and a 6-CD CD-player.
December 1998:
Audi has announced that the allroad quattro
will go into production in February 2000.
at Audi's factory in Neckarsulm, Germany.
It will likely go on sale in Australia in the last quarter of 2000.
It will be offered with a 2.7-litre V6 or a 2.5-litre V6 TDI!
Go to the
Allroad Quattro
and
Audi
pages
Pictures by Audi
