Forestry tracks, tracks that head down to the river or tracks that lead beyond the paddock gate to the water trough have a pleasurable sense of daring and adventure that make exploring them in a crossover vehicle all the more appealing. No, they’re not the sort of tracks you’d care to take your Corolla or Camry wagon down, but they are the sort you’d love to take a new Volkswagen Passat Alltrack down.

Brand new and looking the goods, the Passat Alltrack wagon offers the driver a special Offroad Function which includes technology like Hill Descent Assist, ABSplus, an adaptation of Volkswagen’s ESP system for off-roading and a function that adjusts the accelerator pedal setting. Certainly, the new Volkswagen Passat Alltrack won’t go where the Touareg models can go, but the added pleasure of taking the picnic beyond the side of the road is what the Passat Alltrack is all about. Very much in the same vein as a Subaru Legacy Outback or Forester, the Passat Alltrack is a safe and sure-footed vehicle for both on the tarmac and on unsealed surfaces.

Volkswagen’s 4MOTION permanent all-wheel drive system gives excellent, predictable traction on all surfaces and in all conditions, while the vehicle has had a 30 mm increase in the ride height over the standard Passat wagon. The answer to why I’d choose the Passat Alltrack isn’t just found in its AWD capabilities but in what lies under the wagon’s bonnet.

A sweet engine is one that has plenty of power and torque on hand, but in using the grunt remains highly economical. The Volkswagen Passat Alltrack comes with the advanced 2.0-litre TDI turbocharged diesel engine that has a maximum power of 125kW at 4200rpm. For quick passing, the engine’s low down torque (350 Nm at 1750-2500 rpm) and swanking top-end power results in smooth powerful performance across the range. Run through the six-speed Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG), the power is dialled up instantly on demand. Boasting a “Coasting Function”, the DSG unit links nicely with the engine’s power to combine punchy acceleration with cruisey, economic high speed travel.

Then there’s the Start/Stop engine technology which has the capacity to cut the engine at lights to add to the Passat Alltrack’s superior fuel economy. A brilliant combined fuel economy of 5.8 litres/100km can be expected, which is quite amazing for such a big, roomy car.

On the inside, the Volkswagen Passat Alltrack has a heap of practical luggage space in the form of a 60:40 split-folding rear seat luggage compartment area, plenty of clever storage compartments throughout the cabin, and plenty of leg and head room in all of the seats. Definitely a nice environment to spend a day’s travelling in, the Alltrack wagon has plenty to offer the traveller: gorgeous seats, an electric driver’s seat, leather trim, dual-zone automatic air conditioning, Bluetooth connectivity, cruise control, satellite navigation, a 30-gigabyte hard drive, a colour touchscreen and rain-sensing wipers. For those who like to take the scariness out of parking your car in a tight space, then the reversing camera and parking sensors (front and rear) will be much appreciated. Nice looking 17-inch alloy wheels, high-end audio, eight airbags, a fatigue-detection system, tyre-pressure sensors, ABS, EBD and ESC all come as standard items. A five-star crash test result for the earlier Passat wagon will give you peace of mind in the new Alltrack wagon.

Directly matching the Subaru Outback, the new Volkswagen Passat Alltrack is a classy alternative that’s worth your time investigating.

The current new Volkswagen Passat Alltrack models include the:

• Passat Alltrack 2.0L TDI

For any more information on the new Volkswagen Passat Alltrack or, for that matter, any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181. If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quote requests out to our national network of Volkswagen dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!

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