10 Facts about the Original A6 Allroads (1999-2005)
The A6 Allroad ceased its original production run over a decade ago, but there's still every reason to admire this Audi marvel.
1. The Allroad Quattro is Audi's take on a semi-offroad vehicle
As a brand, Audi are well-known for some of the best engineering available on the market. Beginning in 1999, Audi unveiled their Allroad Quattro A6, designed for versatile use on paved and unpaved surfaces alike. Unlike a full offroad vehicle, Audi's aim here was to create a vehicle that could handle harsh rural roads without straying too far from the street car formula. Although it was officially discontinued in 2005, the model is still held in very high regard by fans of Audi and the motorworks community at large.
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2. The original Allroads are a rugged variant of Audi's A6 Avant model
The design of the Allroad is based on Audi's A6 executive car, so much so that it's best considered a version of that car. BBC's Top Gear lauded the Allroad Quattro for its unrivalled versatility as a vehicle. We'd have to agree on that note; for what more you pay over the regular A6 variant, you're getting one of the most universally useful cars out there. The original Allroad A6 is the sort of car you could send in to do a Range Rover's job. Although there's more debate as for the subsequent uses of the Allroad nameplate, the original 1999-2005 series really was that good.
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3. The A6 Allroad features the distinctive quattro four-wheel drive.
The 4WD system is standard for Audi cars bearing the Quattro nameplate. Although 4WD isn't much needed in most street settings, it makes a ton of sense in the case of a potentially offroad model like this. However, Audi's four-wheel precedent meant that designing the Allroad A6 was even less of a leap than there might have been otherwise.
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4. The models were notably outfitted with standard adjustable air suspension.
The A6 Allroad's adjustable air suspension is a crucial aspect of the model's versatility. With the ability to raise the suspension 8 inches from the ground, the Allroad is able to clear more rugged terrain. However, unlike purely offroad vehicles, at the touch of a button, the suspension can be lowered back; this returns the distinctive sporting vibe of the standard A6 to the handling.
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5. The Allroad Quattro has an unpainted bumper
The Allroad A6 has a distinctive appearance, not least of all due to the fact that the bumper is left unpainted. This is done so that the natural dings and scratches of offroad driving won't cause such a cosmetic hassle. If a vehicle's designed to be the slightest bit offroad, it should assume some rough play. It's a relatively minor detail on the part of Audi's design, but it goes to show the thought they put into adapting their existing design.
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6. The interior loses nothing in luxury
While the Allroad Quattro's exterior is considerably more rugged than its standard A6 counterpart, it's worthy to note that the Allroad's design sacrifices none of the interior space and comfort that Audi designs have come to be associated with.
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7. It's the only car-based SUV to date to have completed the Land Rover challenge
Even to this date, Audi's A6 Allroad is the only car-based SUV to have successfully passed the Land Rover test course. Jaguar's Land Rover brand is known as an intensely rugged, all-terrain brand, and the fact that a street car could even hope to rival it at its own game speaks to the A6 Allroad 's ingenuity of design.
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8. Audi ceased production of the A6 Allroad in 2005
In July 2005, Audi unfortunately halted production on the A6 Allroads. The model would continue to be sold at dealerships throughout the course of the following year in Europe, although no such deal was struck for the North American market.
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9. The original Allroad generation is referred to as the "Ur-Allroad"
Times have changed, but love for the A6 Allroad hasn't gone away. With a different sort of Allroad model to Audi's name, admirers of the original have taken to calling the 1999-2005 incarnation the "Ur-Allroad". This is inspired by the German prefix Ur, which means "old", or in this case, "original."
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10. Many Audi fans still feel the original Allroads haven't been topped
The new Audi Allroad doesn't have a lot in common with the original A6 Allroad we've been discussing here. In fact, for their second bat at the Allroad nameplate, Audi instead chose to refurbish the A4 wagon model. Many Audi fans to this day have felt mixed about this marketing decision. Not to bash the A4 wagon or anything, but it's not the Allroad we came to know and love.
>>Join the conversation about the Audi Allroad Quattro A6 right here in Audi World.
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