THE term ‘Allroad’ is a bit misleading when it comes to where exactly Audi’s off-road-oriented A4 wagon can travel, but the German brand has struck a useful balance between mild adventure tours and everyday driving.

While even the most civilian of vehicles can negotiate a graded gravel road, any excursion away from the bitumen could come at the expense of ground clearance and paintwork damage.

Audi first began adding plastic protective panels and increasing ride height with its popular Avant wagon range in the mid-1990s, and the new-generation A4 Avant has received the same treatment for 2015.

Touring Cape York might well be off-limits, but the A4 Allroad is a pleasingly flexible device that is, somewhat ironically, ideally suited to the cut and thrust of the urban jungle – and the occasional jaunt just off the beaten track.



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