Volkswagen Passat Alltrack 2013 Review

What we liked:
>> Sensible alternative to conventional SUV
>> Well packaged
>> Capable on the road, adequate off it

Subaru, with its Outback (and XV, to a lesser degree), has plugged this little niche in the market, but has been joined recently by Skoda's Octavia Scout – with a Superb Scout also on the way. Now Skoda's parent company, Volkswagen, has entered the fray, with an 'Outbacked' version of the Passat wagon – the Passat Alltrack.

The new car, developed for global markets in response to vehicles such as the Outback, has entered production at Volkswagen's factory at Emden, in the north-west of Germany, and is already on sale here in Australia – perhaps one of the larger markets for the car, although VW ain't sayin'.

Looked at another way, it's just $1800 more than the price of the front-drive Passat 125 TDI Highline wagon, which is powered by the same Euro 5-compliant diesel and also comes fitted with a six-speed DSG (dual-clutch) transmission. But the $1800 premium represents pretty good value when you consider the Alltrack comes with 4MOTION all-wheel drive, Hill Descent Assist, Hill Hold, Off-road drive program, powered tailgate and satellite navigation with the eight-speaker RNS510 audio system.

Other standard features fitted include: dual-zone climate-control, Bluetooth connectivity with audio streaming, trip computer, electric driver's seat adjustment, electro-mechanical steering, electric windows, electronic parking brake with auto-hold, keyless entry, leather trim, electro-chromatic mirror, auto-on headlights, rain-sensing wipers and front/rear parking sensors.

Apart from the raised ride height, the Alltrack can be distinguished by 'Valley' 17-inch alloy wheels, stainless steel underbody protection front and rear, plus chrome-trimmed roof-rails, window surrounds, door mirror caps and radiator grille.

Options available for the Alltrack include metallic paint ($700), the Park Assist 2 self-parking system ($900), three-mode Adaptive Chassis Control $1650, a sunroof ($2000), Adaptive Cruise Control with Front Assist and City Emergency Brake ($2000) and a $2800 Sport Package comprising 18-inch 'Canyon' alloy wheels, Nappa leather, sports front seats and gearshift paddles. Additionally, a $3300 Driver Assistance and Visibility Package provides Lane Assist lane departure warning system, Side Assist blind spot detection, LED tail-lights, electrically adjustable front seats with three-position memory for the driver and bi-Xenon headlights with dynamic cornering lights.

The Alltrack rides on MacPherson struts at the front and a four-link independent setup at the rear. Steering is by means of an electro-mechanical rack-and-pinion system and brakes are discs all round, with ventilated rotors at the front.

Measuring much the same dimensions as the standard Passat wagon, the Alltrack rides higher (165mm ground clearance) and is slightly longer overall at 4881mm. The Alltrack will tow up to 1800kg (braked) and can carry a payload of 656kg. Approach, departure and break-over angles are naturally better than those of the standard Passat wagon, with approach improved from 13.5 to 16 degrees, departure angle raised to 13.6 degrees (from 11.9) and break-over angle increased from 9.5 to 12.8 degrees.

Like the front-wheel drive Passat, the Alltrack features a 60:40 split-fold rear seat that can be folded through operating levers in the cargo compartment. The Alltrack comes with a two-stage cargo blind, a folding floor and a net between the compartment and the rear-seat accommodation. According to Volkswagen the Alltrack provides 588 litres of luggage space with the rear seat in place, or 1716 litres with the seat folded flat. To fold the rear seat completely flat, the user must first raise the seat base and fold it forward against the back of the front seat.

Under the floor in the luggage compartment is a full-size spare on a steel wheel. Volkswagen refers to the spare as a 'mobility tyre', which will self-seal and retain air pressure after small punctures. Sounds like a good idea – and certainly better than run-flats, tyre-repair kits and space-savers in an off-road situation – but we would like to see how they stand up to some of the sharp rocks often encountered on typical unsealed country roads.

Given the legacy of the Passat's interior design, the Alltrack's seats were comfortable and supportive, with instruments and controls easily legible and simple to use. Our one concern was the driver's side mirror, which wouldn't adjust outboard far enough to eliminate the blind spot to the rear oblique angle.

The car is built using high-tensile strength steel throughout and the production process relies on laser welding, rather than conventional spot welds.

Safety features built into the car as standard include dual front airbags, front-seat occupant side impact airbags, outboard rear-seat side-impact airbags, side-curtain airbags, active head restraints and three-point seatbelts for all seat positions. Active safety features consist of anti-lock braking, electronic stability control, traction control, brake assist and electronic differential locking.

That said, the Outback in this level of trim offers similar or better equipment than the Alltrack in some specific ways. The Subaru has six speakers, versus eight for the VW, but matches the Alltrack for satellite navigation, 17-inch alloys, leather trim, dual-zone climate control and Bluetooth connectivity. It betters the Outback with its standard sunroof, but lacks the VW's self-shifting transmission. Like the Alltrack, the Outback is five-star rated for safety and has a knee airbag for the driver, but lacks the thorax-protecting side-impact airbags for the rear-seat occupants.

During the drive, the turbo-diesel engine proved very refined, whether cruising or hauling. It would top 4500rpm, still accelerating hard over the final 500 revs up to redline. There was negligible turbo lag exhibited from a standing start, even under light load. The dual-clutch transmission (DSG) worked very effectively and the ratios felt quite closely spaced, which enhanced the driveability and impression of decent straight-line performance.

If there was a minor concern with the DSG it was the tendency to hold lower gears for engine braking and then change into a higher gear for the sake of fuel economy as soon as the driver pressed on the accelerator. This manifested itself as a sense of the car bogging down as the driver applied power on the exit from a corner, to cite one example. But that problem was easily overcome by selecting the box's sport mode. Fuel consumption, according to the trip computer, was 8.2L/100km over the selection of country roads.

Road-holding was up to scratch on bitumen and trailing throttle oversteer could be provoked on dirt. Left in the standard operating mode, the electronic stability control system would catch the tail of the car before it headed off course. Switched to the off-road drive program, the Alltrack allowed more latitude before the stability control program intervened, but even without the off-road program holding the reins the safety aid didn't interfere too severely.

The steering was very light initially, with feedback better once the car was committed to a corner but steering response was slower than expected of a Passat-based vehicle, and clearly the higher ground clearance had some bearing on the car's demeanour. Notwithstanding that, the Alltrack's manners on the road were at least as good as we recall for the Outback 2.0D, and handling was closer to neutral than the Subaru's, as we recollect.

Ride comfort was acceptably good in either Comfort or Normal modes. Even with the adjustable dampers set to Sport mode the ride quality was not what would be called harsh, although body control is jitterier. Sport mode delivers neater handling at higher open-road speeds, although the Alltrack's handling won't disappoint owners and prospective buyers.

The roads sampled provided little clue as to just how capable the Alltrack might be off the beaten track, but it was comfortable and quiet on the unsealed roads, which wouldn't pose much of a challenge to two-wheel drive passenger cars. Thus, a better appreciation of the Alltrack's off-road ability will have to wait for a seven-day test, but as a family car for touring and towing the Alltrack looks promising.

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