AUDI has launched the A4 Allroad quattro – a shrunken version of the A6 Allroad introduced here in 2001 and a premium take on the formula used on vehicles like the Volvo XC70, Skoda Octavia Scout and Subaru Outback.

The recipe is familiar – take a European wagon and modify it with extra ride height, flared wheel arches and tough underbody cladding, with the aim of winning over buyers to whom owning a traditional SUV is anathema but who still want something that can venture off the beaten path.

To us, this is one crossover that makes a lot of sense, offering all the dynamic benefits of the stylish A4 wagon with none of the dynamic drawbacks of the taller Q5 SUV.

Audi may only be importing limited numbers, but the Allroad makes a pretty convincing case for itself to become a more permanent fixture in the local line-up.

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