2017 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack: Hit the (Minor) Trails and Bring the Family
Volkswagen has revealed the production version of its 2017 Golf Alltrack, a wagon for people who worry they won’t be able to clear that shallow ditch in a regular Golf.
Based on the Golf Sportwagen, the Alltrack pairs that body and drivetrain with 4Motion all-wheel drive, lower body cladding, and close to an inch of extra ground clearance.
The all-wheel drive system in the Alltrack uses a Haldex-5 coupling that sends 50 percent of the engine’s torque rearward if the vehicle detects front wheel slippage. Electronic differential locks send power to the opposite end of the axle for individual wheel slippage.
Very adventurous owners will inevitably test the Alltrack’s hill descent control mode, which we assume should only be attempted on slanted meadows, or in, say, San Francisco.
Powering the Alltrack is Volkswagen’s well-regarded 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, making 170 horsepower and an increased 199 pounds-feet of torque. Offered initially with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission when it goes on sale this fall, a six-speed manual will be offered later.
The usual safety features come along for the ride, but high-end items like automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control are listed as optional equipment.
Volkswagen hasn’t released fuel economy figures for the Alltrack, but the two-wheel drive SportWagen is rated at 35 miles per gallon on the highway for the automatic transmission model and 36 mpg highway for the manual.
[Images: Volkswagen of America]
More by Steph Willems
Latest Car Reviews
Read moreLatest Product Reviews
Read moreRecent Comments
- ToolGuy First picture: I realize that opinions vary on the height of modern trucks, but that entry door on the building is 80 inches tall and hits just below the headlights. Does anyone really believe this is reasonable?Second picture: I do not believe that is a good parking spot to be able to access the bed storage. More specifically, how do you plan to unload topsoil with the truck parked like that? Maybe you kids are taller than me.
- ToolGuy The other day I attempted to check the engine oil in one of my old embarrassing vehicles and I guess the red shop towel I used wasn't genuine Snap-on (lots of counterfeits floating around) plus my driveway isn't completely level and long story short, the engine seized 3 minutes later.No more used cars for me, and nothing but dealer service from here on in (the journalists were right).
- Doughboy Wow, Merc knocks it out of the park with their naming convention… again. /s
- Doughboy I’ve seen car bras before, but never car beards. ZZ Top would be proud.
- Bkojote Allright, actual person who knows trucks here, the article gets it a bit wrong.First off, the Maverick is not at all comparable to a Tacoma just because they're both Hybrids. Or lemme be blunt, the butch-est non-hybrid Maverick Tremor is suitable for 2/10 difficulty trails, a Trailhunter is for about 5/10 or maybe 6/10, just about the upper end of any stock vehicle you're buying from the factory. Aside from a Sasquatch Bronco or Rubicon Jeep Wrangler you're looking at something you're towing back if you want more capability (or perhaps something you /wish/ you were towing back.)Now, where the real world difference should play out is on the trail, where a lot of low speed crawling usually saps efficiency, especially when loaded to the gills. Real world MPG from a 4Runner is about 12-13mpg, So if this loaded-with-overlander-catalog Trailhunter is still pulling in the 20's - or even 18-19, that's a massive improvement.
Comments
Join the conversation
Looks like a more fuel efficient alternative to the Tiguan.
This is interesting for a number of reasons. I saw this car last year and they were showing a German model with a torque converter 6 Speed, basically a base wagon with auto. Switching to dsg and a 6 manual means vw is mixing r drivetrain bits with the 1.8, something only audi has done so far with the a3. Until I read this I was only interested in the eventual normal ride height version expecting the manual there. It might be my next family wagon. The euro car also had the fold away tow hitch. Regardless of vw's ratings I see jsw's and gsw's all the time with installed hitches. Also 35/36 mpg is epa rating on the fwd car with the 1.8, we'll see if that is the case with more tire exposed, awd, and the shorter ratio 6 Speed transmission. I'm skeptical. Why the comment hate on this vs the outback? It's smaller, but it will have a much nicer interior, a way better engine, better gearbox by far, and easily outhandle the outback. Demuro rightly called out the outback as worse to drive than most cuv's despite its wagon shape.