Volkswagen Passat Alltrack Set To Hit Market Early 2012
Volkswagen's new Passat Alltrack made it's world debut at the prestigious Tokyo Motor Show at the close of November 2011 and is expected to be available for order in the UK in April, with deliveries hoped to take place in July 2012.
The New Passat Alltrack is based on Volkswagen's very successful Passat Estate but adds some arresting new features to an already accomplished design.
Improvements on the Passat Estate
The Passat Alltrack is slightly taller than the Estate and has been given several body enhancements designed to improve its off-road performance. Overall the vehicle has been made more robust, with exterior mirror and grille casings, window surrounds, roof rails, flared side sills and front and rear underbody protection panels. All combined, these new features add considerable strength to the body of the Alltrack, protecting it from the rigours of off-roading.
The Alltrack is the same length and width as the Estate, but ground clearance has been increased to assist traversing more rugged terrain. The design of the front and rear bumpers have also been given a re-design to aid off-roading and the 18 inch alloy wheels provide the traction needed.
Inside, the Passat Alltrack has been given stylish Alcantara upholstery and a host of standard features including: Bluetooth telephone preparation, MDI iPod connectivity tyre pressure monitoring system, cruise control and the 2Zone electronic climate control system.
UK models of the new Passat Alltrack will be equipped with a 2.0 Litre TDI PS with six-speed DSG transmission or a 2.0 Litre 140 PS engine, with a six-speed manual gearbox.
4MOTION Four-Wheel Drive and Off-Road Mode
As an off-road vehicle, the Alltrack has been equipped with four-wheel drive in the form of Volkswagen's acclaimed 4MOTION system. In keeping with other models using this system, the Alltrack is primarily front driven, with just 10 percent of the power going through the back axle. This setup is designed to maximise fuel economy, but if the rear wheels do require a power boost this can be achieved via an electrohydraulic Haldex clutch.
The Passat Alltrack's Off-Road mode is activated by a button on the dashboard and, when activated, applies some helpful systems to aid all-terrain driving. This includes a hill descent assist, automatically breaking the Alltrack when the angle of descent rises above 10 degrees. Other features assist with the prevention of wheelspin and deliver more power when needed. Although these off-road features are present in the Tiguan Escape, the Alltrack brings them together in an exciting new package, sure to appeal to the driver who enjoys getting off the beaten track now and then.