Photo: Theophilus Chin
Almost by miracle, some of the World's billion or so car drivers have magically re-discovered the wagon and all the advantages it holds over the abomination we today call "SUV". And to make things even better, some companies have matched all-terrain looks and technology to create a go-anywhere cavern on wheels.
The latest example is the Volkswagen Passat Alltrack, revealed last week and scheduled to make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show. It uses the underpinnings of the Passat Variant and offers a familiar mix of relatively powerful engines, 4Motion all-wheel drive and rugged looks.
In short, we like the idea, especially when the new Passat is a superior car to the old one. But parking one of these bad boys could be a problem during rush hour.
We turn out attention to the 2015 Detroit Auto Show for a moment now, because that's where Volvo unveiled its new S60 Cross Country. That's right, S60, not V60. In a move unparalleled in the industry, they chose to offer a sedan that has raised suspension, not just a wagon. Of course, other companies have built similar cars in the past, but none of them are still in production. Which raises the question: should VW use the 2015 Passat sedan as a basis for the Alltrack?
We think the answer is "no", especially since that development money would be put to far better use on a crossover or sportscar. Still, there might be somebody in Canada who desperately wants a Passat Alltrack sedan, so as compensation, we offer these two renderings made by Theophilus Chin.
There's not much to talk about in terms of design. The Alltrack model has its own set of bumpers and side skirts, plus steel protective plates underneath that you can't see. It's not just a body kit though, because the braking system is specially tuned to work on loos gravell, there's a hill descent function that keeps a constant speed and an new engine map for offroad conditions.
In short, we like the idea, especially when the new Passat is a superior car to the old one. But parking one of these bad boys could be a problem during rush hour.
We turn out attention to the 2015 Detroit Auto Show for a moment now, because that's where Volvo unveiled its new S60 Cross Country. That's right, S60, not V60. In a move unparalleled in the industry, they chose to offer a sedan that has raised suspension, not just a wagon. Of course, other companies have built similar cars in the past, but none of them are still in production. Which raises the question: should VW use the 2015 Passat sedan as a basis for the Alltrack?
We think the answer is "no", especially since that development money would be put to far better use on a crossover or sportscar. Still, there might be somebody in Canada who desperately wants a Passat Alltrack sedan, so as compensation, we offer these two renderings made by Theophilus Chin.
There's not much to talk about in terms of design. The Alltrack model has its own set of bumpers and side skirts, plus steel protective plates underneath that you can't see. It's not just a body kit though, because the braking system is specially tuned to work on loos gravell, there's a hill descent function that keeps a constant speed and an new engine map for offroad conditions.
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