Audi Allroad Concept: The Future Of The Crossover

It’s now official: after showcasing a few different iterations of the Prologue concept car last year, Audi will present the latest iteration, the Allroad, at the Shanghai auto show next week.

If you know your Audis, you know that Allroad means a more rugged vehicle typically designed to go where their regular cars can’t; they're typically higher and feature better underside protection, among other things.

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The Prologue Allroad Concept is no exception; based on the estate Prologue, the Allroad is 77 mm higher than the regular station wagon. Huge 22-inch wheels give it a more upscale look, and the fenders have been widened to accommodate them; however, there is no plastic body cladding.

To propel the vehicle forward, Audi equipped it with a twin-turbo 4-litre V8 and an electric motor located inside the seven-speed transmission; this is enough to get the Prologue Allroad to 100 km/h from a standstill in 3.5 seconds, but it also means the vehicle can sip as little as 2.4 litres of fuel over a 100 km distance. With a 14.1 kWh battery, the car can go 54 km in all-electric mode. Said batteries can be recharged by induction (without any wires; simply by parking the car over a compatible energy source). The quattro all-wheel drive system is obviously used, but it’s been modernized; it now features variable ratios and a rear-wheel steering system.

The Audi Allroad Prologue Concept will be shown for the first time at the Shanghai auto show next week.