One of the truly unsung heroes of the Planet Car is the lifted, 4x4 estate car. Machines like the Audi A6 Allroad, Volvo V90 Cross Country, and Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain. You get all the space and most of the handling prowess of a luxury family wagon, but much less of the bulk – and the hatred in car parks – of a big, bluff SUV. And for most folks, they’re just as adequate off-road.

For some time, we’ve wondered what it would be like if these cars were combined with our other favourite type of car – the super-estate. Can you imagine an Audi RS6 Avant Allroad? Talk about a Swiss Army knife with numberplates.

This… isn’t that. But it’s close. Abt, the German tuners responsible for various souped-up Audis from silly 440hp crossovers to a 1,000hp hybrid RS6, have had a go at boosting the A6 Allroad. Super-SUVs just got a little more pointless.

The 3.0-litre petrol V6 model has been lifted from 340hp to 408hp, not far off the power output of the original Audi R8. Meanwhile, torque is upped from an already meaty 500Nm to 550Nm – more than you get from a RWD Audi R8 V10. Woof.

If big twist and long-range is more your cup of tea, then Abt’s decided to turn up the wick on the A6 Allroad diesel. The TDI V6 no longer develops 349hp and a measly 700Nm. Nope – you’re talking 385hp and a whopping 760Nm shared between all four wheels. Woof indeed. And there’s an optional active exhaust, so your warmed-up Allroad sounds throatier as well.

For its show-off pictures, Abt has demonstrated it’ll fit the Allroad with 20-inch rims, with 21s also on the options list, but we wouldn’t bother with that. The standard car’s ride is already a tad brittle.

Better to keep the rims stock, have a set of all-weather tyres in reserve, and just go for the power, we reckon. What more could you ever need from a car?

Still want that Bentayga? Anyone?

STORY Ollie Kew