Audi Quattro review

Ah, velour. And loads of it. No slipping off these seats. Yes, the dynamics may have dated a little, but the interior… prehistoric. And therefore very easy to see out of and get on with. It has a cassette player. Actually that may be utterly baffling to some of you. There are three lever buttons each the size of a bourbon biscuit either side of the instrument binnacle and they take care of almost everything else. Electric windows and central locking were standard and you had the diff lock levers between the seats. In practice you only needed those if you were stuck in snow or mud. 

The main surprise is the steering wheel itself, not because of its size but the fact the logo in the centre reads ‘turbo’ not ‘quattro’. The driving position is good, the seats flat by modern standards, but plenty comfy. And it’s big in here. Four adults fit. And although the boot is a fiddle to use as it’s a little pop-up flap at the back rather than a tailgate incorporating the rear window, at 390 litres, there’s plenty of space in there. Let’s forgive the small hatch by assuming it contributes greatly to the impressive structural rigidity mentioned earlier. 

Driving at night? The dash illumination is hopeless and the headlights give off approximately as much light as a Californian’s teeth. Bright if you’re looking at them, ineffective at casting light around.