Audi A4 Allroad nixed for Oz
BY BYRON MATHIOUDAKIS | 3rd Mar 2009
Speaking at the launch of the revised A6 sedan/wagon, A6 Allroad quattro and RS6 sedan in Victoria last week, Audi Australia spokesperson Anna Burgdorf said that the existing A4 Avant wagon provided sufficient representation for the brand in Australia.
She added that there was little likelihood of the A4 Allroad finding a big enough sales niche to justify the trouble and expense of importing it.
Furthermore, although the A4 Allroad shares similar visual cues to its larger Allroad sibling, it lacks the sophisticated adjustable ride height suspension as well as other SUV-style off-road aids that help to adequately differentiate the latter from the A6 Avant.
Audi Australia’s announcement to leave the A4 Allroad in Europe is a complete contrast to its recent decision to drop the A6 Avant wagon from the Australian line-up and concentrate on selling more A6 Allroad quattro cars instead. The Ingolstadt-based company also has its hands full launching the Q5 mid-sized SUV, which – ironically enough – shares many underbody parts with the A4 Allroad.
The original Allroad quattro was first conceived during the run of the C5-series A6 from 1997 to 2004, and was launched in Australia in February 2001. Today’s TDI diesel-only C6-series version arrived in May 2007.