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VW Golf SportWagen Alltrack US Debut Confirmed for 2016

On the eve of the New York Auto Show, Volkswagen has officially confirmed a new model will be launched in 2016, the all-wheel drive Golf SportWagen Alltrack. Essentially, this is a wagon built to go offroad, like the Subaru Outback only a bit smaller.
Golf SportWagen Alltrack 36 photos
Photo: Catalin Garmacea
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“We have heard from dealers and customers that they want to see a Golf SportWagen with the all-terrain capability that comes from all-wheel drive,” said Michael Horn, President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. “We are delighted to introduce the SportWagen Alltrack in 2016 in the US."

For now, details are limited, but the Golf Alltrack is already available in Europe and we've driven its brother from another mother, the SEAT Leon X-Perience. Both have the same engines available and use a 4Motion all-wheel drive based on the Haldex-5 coupling.

The system keeps all of the power at the front under normal conditions, which conserves fuel. But when it senses loss of traction up to 50 percent of the torque will be sent to the rear wheels. The Golf Alltrack also has "armor" to protect it from stone chips and uses the brakes to direct power to the wheel with the most traction at each axle.

We predict two engines will be available for US consumption, the 1.8-liter TSI turbo pumping 170 horsepower and its diesel alternative with 150 hp. We don't need to tell you which will be more economical, but even the gasoline model should get at least 30 mpg highway. European models also come with a smaller 1.6 diesel making 110 hp and a more powerful 2.0 TDI with over 180 hp, but neither has ever been available stateside.

Volkswagen will hopefully see the wisdom of offering a manual gearbox for cars that are likely going to be used for towing and going on adventures by keen drivers.
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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