AUDI'S mighty A6 Allroad offers the very best of both worlds with estate-car practicality and handling combined with the go-anywhere all-wheel drive capability akin to a chunky SUV.

It is also one of the most comfortable cars to drive - and I should know after clocking up more than 600 miles during my time behind the wheel.

Viewed from any angle, the A6 Allroad looks dynamic in its styling with a large front grille housing the Audi rings, sweeping light clusters with LED daytime running lights, rear privacy glass, roof rails and smart alloys to complete the look.

Move inside and the cabin oozes quality with the finest leather upholstery, a wealth of on-board technology and ample space for five adults to sit comfortably.

Creature comforts are plentiful and include twin touch screens with haptic feedback, heated front seats, full navigation, a pitch perfect sound system, powered seats with memory settings, smartphone connectivity and lots more besides.

Our car started life costing £52,985, but as is the way with premium models, there is a raft of options available and the likes of a technology pack, a music interface in the rear of the car, 4-zone deluxe air conditioning and a number of other features saw the final price rise to £60,485.

Powering the A6 Allroad was a 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine delivering 231hp and 500Nm of torque. The 0-62mph sprint time is a rapid 6.7 seconds and the car tops out at a limited 155mph.

When it comes to running costs, the official combined fuel economy figure is set at 37.7mpg with carbon emissions of 153g/km. When driven at a steady 70mph in Comfort mode on motorways I was seeing well in excess of 40mpg. Flick across to Dynamic and that figure will drop accordingly.

The vehicle boasts higher ground clearance compared to the A6 Avant estate model to cope with rougher surfaces, but the ride and handling are certainly not compromised as a result. It's a car that cruises effortlessly on motorways or dual carriageways, but possesses all the fire power and quick reactions to satisfy any driving purist out on the more testing country lanes.

The road holding is ultra-confident and there is no sign of body sway into tight bends either as the car fires through the eight-speed automatic gearbox. Steering wheel paddles are there for extra driver engagement and it's easy to switch through the various drive modes called Allroad, Efficiency, Comfort, Auto, Dynamic and Individual that alter the characteristics of the car considerably.

You will need a huge parking space for the vehicle which measures just shy of five metres in length, but parking is made simpler by the number of driver assist features such as the rearview reversing camera and all-round sensors.

Clearly the A6 Allroad needs to cover all the practicality bases and it does just that with a boot that can swallow 565 litres of kit. This limit increases to 1,680 litres with the split-folding rear seats dropped flat. And there are a number of handy storage compartments scattered throughout the car too, including a decent-sized glovebox, practical door pockets, cup holders and a central cubby box where the USB ports are located.

And as one would expect, the car is packed with safety specifications and driver assist aids to help protect occupants and pedestrians alike as well as helping to prevent accidents from happening in the first place.