Mar 30th, 2012 by Ross Edwards
Audi announced yesterday that the Allroad would be returning to America , this time based on an A4 rather than an A6, and now Volkswagen is testing the waters to see if a non-luxury off-road capable wagon could be successful. Just like the Allroad you might be familiar with, the VW Passat Alltrak will be a crossover version of the Passat wagon, complete with a higher ride height and durable hard plastic wheel arches.
Crossover wagon versions of popular sedans have been cropping up lately, with Ford offering the Taurus X (later called the Freestyle) up until 2009 and more recently the Toyota Venza and Honda Crosstour, built on the Camry and Accord, and of course the ubiquitous Subaru Outback. It makes sense to lift a medium sized wagon and call it an SUV, rather than building an all new vehicle unnecessarily. It is basically the same as a unique crossover without the trouble of coming up with a new body. The question is if VW buyers, like Subaru, Audi and Volvo owners, are willing to buy a car that is so obviously a lifted version of an existing car, rather than a reskinned version.
The Alltrak would be the only Passat wagon sold in America, and would bridge the gap between the compact Tiguan and the full-sized Touareg. The Alltrak concept (sold in Europe right now according to Jalopnik as the Passat Alltrak) is powered by a 2.0-liter TDI diesel engine with 140-hp and 236 lb-ft of torque. All-wheel drive is standard, and the only transmission is a six-speed DSG automatic. The Alltrak Passat is 1.2 inches higher than the standard Passat.
Image via Jalopnik.
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