Brace, brace!

You want sumptuous, useful family transport. But faster

WHO DOESN’T LOVE a family feud? But this isn’t exactly Jeremy Kyle on wheels – we’re not compering a bar-room brawl between a Focus RS and a Mustang. These are desirable luxury five-doors that will make your neighbours think you’re a cut above such riff-raff and rather minted, when the truth is you can put a used Macan on your drive for less than a new A4 Avant, and get an older Allroad for less than a new A1. Both cars offer remarkable value, though in slightly different ways.

As for the family connection, they’re not directly related, but they do share some components including some engines, and the Macan is built on the same platform as the Allroad’s SUV sister, the Q5. What’s the lowdown on these low-rider SUVs?

The Allroad is the third of its kind and appeared in 2012, a spinoff from the C7-code A6 Avant. Compared to the humble wagon, the Allroad got standard air suspension, distinctive body mouldings and an engine range that skipped the cheaper A6’s rep-spec fourpots, ensuring every version had a V6. Most amusing of the lot is the 309bhp bi-turbodiesel: 43mpg, 0-62mph in 5.3sec and an augmented exhaust noise that makes it sound like you’re pacing an early ’80s BTCC race in a TWR Rover Vitesse.

The fastest diesel Macan, the V6 S, is down over 60bhp and almost 1sec to 62mph, but it’s still arguably the pick of the range, even if its sister car, the petrol-powered Macan S, is more fun. Bookending the range are the 249bhp Macan 2.0 petrol and the monstrously fast Macan Turbo.