ALLROADS LEAD TO HEAVEN
2013 Audi allroad 2.0T quattro

By Zoran Segina The off-road purists may lament the fact that the 2013 Audi allroad 2.0T quattro is not a true off-road performer, but among modern station wagons/crossover utility vehicles it has few peers. The front fascia now has a very aggressive vertical grille with a metal grate underneath; the rest carries a monochrome motif with ventilation openings and fog lights. Wheel wells are emphasized by anthracite grey plastic covers. The running boards, the doors and the roof rack are accented by metal inserts. The five spoke metal wheels shod in Pirelli P Zero245/45 R 18 96Y rated tires provide additional aggressive look. The overall design is nicely complemented with metal accents in the back and twin stainless steel exhausts. The overall appearance is one of compactness and efficiency. The doors have no plastic protection against parking lot dings. Double-folding sunroof covers the entire top of the car. If a large key fob gets within the range of the remote electronic ignition, a step on the brake and a push on the button commences a mechanical ballet. The automatic lights come on, rear view mirrors pivot out, and the LED headlights turn on. The allroad is adjusting itself for the drive.

Audi always leaves one feeling that, unlike other cars, theirs are fully built by the engineers before they ask the accountants and marketing how much it should cost. The dashboard is dominated by a large tachometer on the left and speedometer on the right. A small indicator screen in between shows speed, mileage, total miles, outside temperature, and fuel consumption and other data. The curved dashboard is illuminated in traditional Audi orange. The center console and the cockpit are clad in real aluminum. Parking brake is electronic. The floor shifter can be pushed into sport mode which allows changing gears either by shifter or by the steering wheel paddles. A three-spoke-leather clad wheel is a piece of art. It has protrusions and nubs that are positioned at nine and three o'clock preventing the palms from sliding. The spokes contain controls for the satellite radio and another protrusion under the thumbs allows for easier turning. Somebody at Audi spent lot of time designing this. On the other hand, winning the 24 hours of Le Mans endurance race eleven times since 2000 teaches you something about building an ergonomic steering wheel. The center console has is dual climate controls, ventilation fans and a button underneath for Audi multimedia with a plugs for CD, SIM and media cards. Cruise control is on a separate stalk at driver's fingertips and intuitive to use. Cabin is well illuminated. During the day the sunroof is hidden by a semitransparent cover. The armrest can be flipped back for sporty driving. The doors have well-appointed pockets. Deep bucket seats are very firm with generous adjustments including lumbar support that can be moved up and down. The Tall Girl, however, found the head support inadequate so we had to carry a pillow. All seats have spot lights.

The cabin is studded with hooks for the hanging things—under each handle, under the B pillar, near the C pillar. Back seats have their own ventilation. Back seats collapsible elbow rest also features a box for small items, the front one contains cup holders. seats four passengers in comfort and keeps its driver from exertion. The rear liftgate is electrically operated, and the auxiliary light is truly Audiesque. The rear cargo area has a net for storing easy-to-misplace items and more chromed hooks for additional netting. The entire spot can be covered by a slide that can be attached in the upward position to stay out of the way. The carpeted wooden floor hides is a deflated spare tire, a compressor, and a convenient 12V plug. Audi voice recognition is handled by two rotating knobs on the steering wheel. Anything on Audi is intuitive and immediately within the driver’s control. Pedals, shifters and knobs are exactly where one would expect them to be. The allroad embodies typical European driving characteristics. It is incredibly fast and sure footed, making its driver feels in full control at all times with no surprises. The acceleration leaves one checking the engine data to verify where this oomph came from. And how did they squeeze 258 pound-feet of torque in a two-liter turbocharged four-banger? The engine- management computer blips the throttle during shifts keeping the tachometer steady. The powerful brakes can stop allroad in all conditions. The suspension is firm, the road holding is great. Pushing the car outside its performance envelope is nigh impossible, chiefly because all four wheels are doing a great job. A light press on the accelerator while cruising at 50 mph will bring the vehicle to 85 mph and ready for more. A brace against a generous dead pedal, and a light press on the very large brake pedal brings the car back to cruising. The rear view mirrors have blinker and the blind spot warning indicators.

The allroad provides a sense of incredible safety on the road in a very appealing package. The package, however, does not come cheap—our test car is a fifty grand proposition. While one could get a much larger car, the fun or the sense of luxury may not grow correspondingly. The allroad is replete with marvelous little details. A section of the beautifully stitched leather seats next to the seatbelt buckles are covered in different material to avoid chafe. The front seats’ thigh support can be extended for added comfort. The allroad’s interior with the large windshield, and the roomy cabin, does not leave one feeling claustrophobic (the sun visors, though, should be bigger). Bang and Olufsen speakers are in the front doors, above the dashboard, in A pillars and who knows where else. Above the rear view mirror there is a built-in eyeglass holder. One can keep the keys in the pocket, or a convenient slit next to the steering wheel. All four doors have automatic electric windows. The allroad is an incredibly capable, well thought out, and well-engineered machine that can be adjusted in innumerable ways to suit the driver. If the adjusting took place at night, the section of the center console with control knobs is illuminated by a red pilot light. Why red? To preserve the drivers’ night vision, of course.

SUMMARY JUDGMENT: Celestial, terrestrial and telestial. For more information about Audi products, go to www.audiusa.com SPECIFICATIONS: Name of vehicle: 2013 Audi allroad 2.0T quattro Tiptronic Price: $39,600.00 (base) $50,670.00 (as tested) Engine type: 2.0 liter turbocharged inline four cylinder gasoline engine with FSI direct injection EPA mileage estimates (city/highway): 20/27 miles per gallon (LA Car observed: 22 mpg) Horsepower: 211 @ 4300 rpm Torque: 258 pound-feet @ 1500 rpm Transmission type: Eight-speed Tiptronic® automatic transmission with sequential manual mode Drive configuration: Audi quattro® permanent all wheel drive with 40:60 torque split Steering: Electromechanical, speed sensitive power rack & pinion Suspension Front: Five-link front suspension with stabilizer bar Rear: Rear trapezoidal-link independent steel string suspension Wheels and tires: 18 inch, five arm-Rotor-design wheels with Pirelli P Zero 245/45 R 18 96Y tires Brakes Front 12.6 inch vented discs and rear 11.8 inch solid discs, dual-circuit with diagonal split, anti-lock brake system (ABS), electronic brake pressure distribution (EBD), and tandem brake booster Curb weight: 3891 pounds Performance 0-60 mph in 6.5 seconds (est.) Top Speed: 130 mph electronically limited (est.)