The seats were superb and supportive, and though manually adjustable in the models tested, ours likely will include power seats as basic equipment if past history is any indicator. From the driver’s seat, you’re controlling a machine that can pilot you safely and as quickly as legally and morally permissible, though you will obviously find more joy in the experience elsewhere in the Audi lineup (I’m looking at you, S3…). Personally, I find a touch more weight in the steering reassuring, but the incredible lightness of the basic steering setting makes it very easy to spin the wheel about during parking maneuvers, but seems a little vague and slow to respond as speeds climb. As with most newer Audis, you can control the steering response via Drive Select, which also controls other driving settings (like throttle response and suspension firmness), but the steering never does seem to firm up substantially; I suspect that many looking for ease of use over cornering response will find this the right balance.

The powertrain doesn’t offer any surprises: 2.0L turbo paired with Audi’s signature Quattro all-wheel drive with a dual-clutch auto sandwiched in between. However, Audi isn’t just resting on its laurels and here they squeeze out 252 hp from 5,000 to 6,000 rpm, and 273 lb-ft of torque anywhere between 1,600 and 4,500. This generation of 2.0T arrives at its power via the latest iteration fuel injection and variable valve timing, making for a substantial power band, the engine always eager and pressing me back into the seat unexpectedly when I was expecting more typical sluggish crossover response. Audi pegs the Allroad’s acceleration from 0–100 km/h at 6.1 seconds.

While A4 Allroad figures aren’t yet available, the 2017 A4 2.0T sedan is estimated at 9.8/7.7 L/100 km city/highway and 8.8 combined, and the Allroad is unlikely to be significantly higher. Part of those fuel savings are earned through Audi’s continually evolving direct injection and timing, but they’ve thrown in an engine start-stop system. That stop-start system might be a tad overeager, and at some low-speed almost-stops it can induce a jarring lurch. Out on the open road, Audi’s 2.0T is as smooth as they come in the turbo-four territory that every luxury brand is now jumping into.

The Allroad comes standard with the S Tronic seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, and it remains a smooth yet quick-shifting unit, its low-speed mannerisms continuing to improve if not yet as smooth as a conventional automatic. There is also a Sport mode that holds gears a bit longer for more spirited acceleration and downshifts earlier in the braking process (and here we are obligated to wish for that lower, stiffer suspension that underpins the sedan and European Avant models).

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