As well as a five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating – the safest you can get – the Allroad gets a reassuring level of safety equipment, including an electronic stability programme – that helps keep the car on-track when cornering – ABS, dual front, side and curtain airbags and four-wheel drive for better on-road traction. On the security front, there’s an alarm and remote central locking.

The robust A6 Allroad gets a harder-wearing interior than the saloon or standard Avant estate. The seats are trimmed in a special cloth material called monoPur, which is designed for heavier use than standard cloth without losing its looks. The boot, although not as big as that of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class estate, is nonetheless very big and with 565 litres of space (1660 litres with the back seats folded) it can cope with most large objects.

The boot has plenty of scope for fitting dividers and securing load nets to ensure everything is held in place.