Sector: Upper-medium Price (August 2013): £37,275 Fuel: 45.6mpg CO2: 161g/km

Much like its A6 allroad big brother, the A4 allroad exists as a bridge between conventional family estate and full-on SUV.

Being neither it aims to bring together the best attributes of both, with spacious interior accommodation and decent boot space combined with four-wheel drive and a ride height which is raised 37mm over a standard A4 Avant.

Along with an underbody guard, special ‘off-road’ mode within the ESP system and some plastic body cladding around the bumpers and wheelarches, the allroad certainly looks the part – more beefy than an A4 Avant yet not as in-your-face as a proper 4×4.

The understated looks are the allroad’s USP because despite the raised ride height this is not a car for any degree of off-road work. Neither, you could argue, is a Q5 or Q7, but the allroad will tackle the fields at a polo match or the gravel driveway of the local pony club with stylish ease.

On the road the allroad is a smooth operator with that big 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine upfront providing huge dollops of shove to make building speed in any gear easy. With 368lb-ft of torque and a smooth seven-speed S tronic automatic gearbox this is a car in which to make effortless progress.

The raised ride height makes little impact on ride quality, with a general feeling of being sturdy and surefooted, while the handling benefits from being less wallowy than a conventional 4×4.

Inside, the allroad is identical to the A4 – no bad thing – which means clear, sensible dials and buttons and a general feeling of quality and solidity.

Verdict:

The allroad is an effective compromise between regular estate and 4×4, although in range-topping 3.0-litre V6 diesel trim it is not particularly fleet-friendly. If you like the looks of the allroad, a smaller 2.0 TDI diesel is available which offers 177bhp, improved fuel economy and lower emissions. That really would be a car for all seasons.