We can go on and on about the gorgeous Audi wagons that we want (and they are many), but the cries of North American long roof aficionados do not a business case make, and Audi is happy to leave the traditional wagon market to BMW, Mercedes and Volvo. What we get is a wagon with body cladding and raised suspension based on Audi’s superb A4 line, at the most wagon-y end of the crossover spectrum. It’s a happy medium, as those that want a better-driving crossover can call it a crossover, and those that want an S4 Avant can drop the suspension and turn up the boost. Everyone’s happy, right?

It’s a niche that has done well for Audi, with Allroads accounting for a good 10 percent of the A4 sales in Canada. While some might be committing based on the Allroad’s rugged good looks, my bet is on that wonderfully easy-to-use cargo space being the main attraction, so I’ll start there. Audi lists 505 L for the trunk, but unlike sedans that might come close to that number, all of it is easily accessed with a power tailgate, with the cargo cover connected to the liftgate rising out of the way as it swings open. The cargo area is also finished in materials better than you find in many interiors, carpeted and trimmed in cabin-grade materials. Practically, the seatbacks are divided 40/20/40, so the rear seats can be dropped in various configurations, with a maximum 1,510 L available with all seats folded, or a handy ski/snowboard pass-through for the alpine set.

Rear passenger space may be up on paper, but the intrusive driveline tunnel hump remains, and legroom/foot space is at a premium even in the outboard seats. Once you squeeze in, however, you will enjoy the Alcantara-trimmed and reasonably supportive seats.

The driver and front passenger are, of course, treated to something altogether different. There is plenty of space for heads, lovely perches for sensitive elbows, and your fingers will simply be spoiled. Everything in the Audi cabin is a joy to touch. The buttery leather steering wheel, the metal and leather shifter, the substantial dial for controlling Audi’s intuitive interface, the firm damping for every switch, button and knob, even the grip and solidity of the rubber mat lining the under-armrest storage.

Talking points: 2017 Audi A4 Allroad Quattro: 7 Things You Need to Know

As with the sensory feedback, the technology is well-executed in every area. Graphics are crisp and clear, menus logical and progressive, and response time is immediate. Adding to the geeky cool factor is a fully digital gauge cluster called virtual cockpit, with video game–quality resolution and speed, and a variable layout that allows the map to take over most of the real estate for easy and obvious route guidance preview and instructions. Alternatively, one can keep the tach and speed ‘gauges’ larger, with anything from audio to fuel consumption displayed between them. The MMI system can be controlled via buttons on the steering wheel or the large central knob on the console. Conveniently, the transmission shifter serves as a pedestal on which to rest your wrist, allowing easier control on the knob, or when scribbling letters on the touch-sensitive pad, whose handwriting recognition allows you to write info into the menus (as when searching for a name in your contacts or entering a destination into the nav system). It’s an easy, intuitive system to control, and it makes driving easier rather than adding distractions when driving; and this was with me searching out navigation instructions and audio while discovering new roads around Munich in the German heartland.

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