The Audi A4 Allroad is a rugged station-wagon variant of the Audi A4 compact luxury car. The A4 Allroad gets styling and feature updates for 2020. Volvo's V60 and V90 are the most significant competitors in the luxury wagon segment, but it’s just as likely that the A4 Allroad is getting cross-shopped against Subaru's Outback and small luxury crossovers as well.

The A4 Allroad shares basic design cues with the simple but elegant A4 sedan, though the Allroad gets dressed up with more rugged elements. For 2020, the A4 Allroad gets a new grille design with chromed vertical slats, and matte gray body cladding emphasizes the wagon’s adventurous personality. Front and rear LED lights are newly standard, with different headlight designs and features for each trim in the model lineup.

As for power, the A4 Allroad’s single powertrain carries over unchanged. It’s a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT) and Audi’s quattro all-wheel-drive (AWD) system, rated for 248 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque. Standard selectable driving modes offer Comfort, Auto, Dynamic, Offroad, and Individual settings. An adaptive suspension system comes standard and increases ground clearance for more all-terrain capability. EPA ratings come in at 23 mpg city, 31 highway, and 26 combined.

The A4 Allroad is available in Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige trims. Standard features include leather upholstery, heated front seats, and a panoramic sunroof. The Premium Plus adds driver-seat memory settings and upgraded materials on some interior surfaces. With Prestige, you’ll get ambient lighting. Other options include heated rear seats, ventilated front seats, and a heated steering wheel.

The 2020 Audi A4 lineup marks the debut of Audi’s latest infotainment system, the Modular Infotainment Matrix 3. This system features a 10.1-inch touchscreen with standard voice control and support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Other available features include handwriting recognition and cloud connectivity. Buyers can also opt for a 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system, a head-up display, wireless device charging, and Audi’s Virtual Cockpit, a customizable 12.3-inch digital information display.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) awarded the 2019 Audi A4 Allroad with Good scores in six crash tests. Standard features are updated this year and include a reversing camera, forward-collision warning, front automatic emergency braking, a pre-collision system, and a camera that alerts the driver to potential front hazards. Options include a surround-view camera system, blind-spot monitoring, active lane assist, rear cross-traffic alert with emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, and park assist.

The Audi A4 Allroad is an expensive approach to an otherwise practical, family-friendly vehicle, yet there’s something charming about the fact that Audi keeps it around. It’s worth a look if you’re considering a crossover, SUV, or rival wagon in the same price range.