Audi allroad• Starting from £43,145 on the road
• Twenty per cent more fuel efficient than outgoing model
• Wireless internet access with Google maps

The third generation of Audi A6 allroad is due to go on sale in the UK, priced from £43,145.

The allroad is Audi’s off-road biased version of the A6 Avant executive estate car. It features chunky body styling, and steel bash plates to protect the underside when traversing rough terrain.

To help you keep going, Audi’s Quattro four-wheel-drive system is available as standard, as is a four-level air suspension system, which can raise or lower the ride height at the push of a button.

Initially there will only be a choice of one petrol and two diesel engines, all of which are 3.0-litre V6 units.

The diesel engines are available in 201bhp and 242bhp guises. The former will suit those looking to maximise fuel economy, returning 46.3mpg. The more powerful unit develops 428lb/ft of torque, making it suited to more intensive off-road use.

The 306bhp petrol unit is the current performance option. Putting out 324 lb/ft of pulling power, it is enough to get this large, heavy estate from 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds.

All three engine options are mated to Audi’s 7-speed S tronic twin clutch gearbox as standard. Offering the best of both worlds, the gearbox can either be left in automatic, or manual gearshifts can be requested via the gear lever or steering wheel mounted paddles.

The gearbox, along with direct fuel injection system fitted to all available engines, aid in reducing fuel consumption. Audi claims the allroad is 20 per cent more fuel efficient than the model it replaces.

The allroad comes with a vast options list, featuring heavily in technological add-ons. Night vision with pedestrian identification is one such highlight. It uses an infra-red camera mounted in the grille to scan the road in poor visibility conditions. If the system detects a pedestrian, they are highlighted on the in-car display.

Further options include wireless internet access with Google maps, adaptive cruise control with automatic emergency braking and a touch-pad based multimedia interface with handwriting recognition.

Traditional Audi options, such as the high-fidelity Bang & Olufsen stereo with retractable tweeters, are also available.

Order books for the A6 allroad will open from next month, with the first customer cars expected for delivery in the spring.

By Daljinder Nagra