Photo: Volkswagen
It's been exactly one year since Volkswagen confirmed the Golf Alltrack for the American car market at the 2015 New York Auto Show. On the eve of a new motoring venue in the Big Apple, the soft-roading compact wagon is being presented as a 2017 model year vehicle that will hit dealerships this fall.
We don't expect the same kind of crazy demand we saw for the 2015 Golf R, although the Golf Alltrack is an interesting product. Think of it as a cheaper version of the Audi allroad quattro, but fitted with a transversely mounted 1.8-liter turbocharged inline-four, with 170 horsepower and 199 pound-feet of torque.
The good news is that a six-speed manual will be available shortly after launch. The bad news is that there is practically no chance of buying a 2.0 TDI engine anymore, for obvious reasons.
So if you managed to order a Golf SportWagen with the 2.0 not-so-clean diesel and like your mpgs in the high 40s, there's no point in ordering the Alltrack.
Compared to the regular Golf wagon, the Alltrack sits a little higher off the ground, and body cladding gives it additional ruggedness. Unlike many crossovers, this will come with standard AWD, arriving in the form of the latest 4Motion system based on a Haldex-5 coupling. It's available all the time, but when you are driving on the highway, all of the power goes to the front wheels. When the system detects slip, up to 50% of the torque can be diverted towards the rear.
There will be three trim levels available. The S and SE have 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels while the top SEL trim has 18-inch wheels. Silver detailing, including roof rails, matte mirror caps, and diffusor. Inside, it's mostly similar to the SportWagen, but with an off-road twist. The Alltrack receives a unique brown leatherette option in addition to aluminum pedal covers, door sills with Alltrack branding, and ambient lighting.
"We heard from dealers and customers that they wanted to see a Golf SportWagen with the all-terrain capability that comes from an all-wheel drive system," said Joerg Sommer, Vice President, Product Marketing and Strategy of Volkswagen of America, Inc. "We are excited to introduce the Golf Alltrack to meet the active lifestyle needs of our customers."
The good news is that a six-speed manual will be available shortly after launch. The bad news is that there is practically no chance of buying a 2.0 TDI engine anymore, for obvious reasons.
So if you managed to order a Golf SportWagen with the 2.0 not-so-clean diesel and like your mpgs in the high 40s, there's no point in ordering the Alltrack.
Compared to the regular Golf wagon, the Alltrack sits a little higher off the ground, and body cladding gives it additional ruggedness. Unlike many crossovers, this will come with standard AWD, arriving in the form of the latest 4Motion system based on a Haldex-5 coupling. It's available all the time, but when you are driving on the highway, all of the power goes to the front wheels. When the system detects slip, up to 50% of the torque can be diverted towards the rear.
There will be three trim levels available. The S and SE have 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels while the top SEL trim has 18-inch wheels. Silver detailing, including roof rails, matte mirror caps, and diffusor. Inside, it's mostly similar to the SportWagen, but with an off-road twist. The Alltrack receives a unique brown leatherette option in addition to aluminum pedal covers, door sills with Alltrack branding, and ambient lighting.
"We heard from dealers and customers that they wanted to see a Golf SportWagen with the all-terrain capability that comes from an all-wheel drive system," said Joerg Sommer, Vice President, Product Marketing and Strategy of Volkswagen of America, Inc. "We are excited to introduce the Golf Alltrack to meet the active lifestyle needs of our customers."
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