First seen at last year’s Tokyo Auto Show, the new VW Passat Alltrack is now available for order in select markets around Europe.
We revisit it today because the German automaker has seen fit to afford us with a new crop of images that show the high-ridding estate model in a different light.
The Audi A4 Allroad’s more economical cousin gets all the usual bells and whistles expected from an estate model turned into a soft-roader.
On the outside, the Passat Alltrack sports more rugged looks thanks to the front and rear underbody plates, protective black plastic cladding around the wheelarches and side sills, along with a bespoke set of alloy wheels and a matte chrome finish for the door mirrors, roof rails and window surrounds.
To cope with some light off-road driving, aside from the available 4Motion all-wheel drive system, VW’s engineers raised the Passat Estate’s ground clearance from 135 to 165 mm, while the front approach angle was increased from 13.5 to 16 degrees, and the departure angle at the rear was increased from 11.9 to 13.6 degrees. In addition, the ramp angle for crossing over a hill was improved from 9.5 to 12.8 degrees.
There are four available engines, including a 2.0-liter TDI diesel with either 140PS (138bhp) or 170PS (168bhp), a 1.8-liter TSI petrol pushing out 160PS (158bhp) and a 2.0-liter TSI delivering 210PS (208bhp).
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