Spied again: 2009 Audi A4 Allroad

Spy photographers have spotted a mule for Audi's upcoming A4 Allroad while undergoing some cold weather test in Sweden. This 2008 A4 is fitted with matte-black wheel arches and an increased ride-height, both of which are key components of Audi's Allroad concept.

Despite this mule's sedan origins, the A4 Allroad will remain a wagon-only offering. Since the new A4 wagon has not yet been revealed, it appears Audi engineers decided to take a covert approach to testing by using this sedan. After the new A4 wagon makes its public debut, we expect to see A4 Allroad prototypes using the appropriate wagon body style.

The wheel arch extensions appear to be integrated into the surrounding design elements, showing an intentional flow from the front and rear bumpers into the newly applied flares. Similarly, a new side sill completes the design to give this test car quite a finished look.

Since its inception, the Audi Allroad has only existed as a spin-off to the A6 wagon. From the looks of this new prototype, it appears that an A4-based Allroad will join the lineup.

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Preview: 2009 Audi A4 Allroad


The Audi Allroad, based on the mid-sized A6, is essentially a jacked up version of the standard wagon with protective plastic side cladding and a quattro AWD system. The car is designed for those individuals who want off-road capability but aren’t willing to upsize to full-on SUV. To expand its product portfolio, Audi plans to launch a new Allroad model based on the recently launched B8 A4.

New features the A4 Allroad could adopt include pneumatic air suspension, a dual-clutch transmission and a new 2.0L turbodiesel engine. Power levels would range from 143hp and 320Nm of torque to 170hp and 350Nm of torque. A range topper could also be launched with 204hp and 400Nm of torque available.
Test-mules of a jacked up A4 sporting some distinctive black plastic cladding over the wheel arches have been spotted in Sweden and now this latest rendering gives us a glimpse as to what the final production version will look like. Like the A6 Allroad, the new A4 version will be based on the Avant wagon model but features non-color coded bumpers and an aluminum undertray up front.
Audi is yet to confirm the Allroad’s existence but considering the A4 Avant will be launched next month, and Allroad prototypes have already been spotted, we should see the new model sometime before the end of the year.

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More spy pics from WCF...

Pretty crappy looking rendering, also from WCF...

Why test the suspension on the sedan?? Planning something special??

Because the Avant is not out yet so the sedan test mule gets less attention from spy photographers.