Spotted: 2016 Passat Alltrack Roaming Streets of Phoenix

Aaron Cole
by Aaron Cole

I love you, unicorn.

A TTAC reader spotted this 2016 Volkswagen Passat Alltrack roaming the streets of Phoenix the other day and dutifully reported “What the hell is that?”

This Passat wagon, which is sold overseas, may be the only one in the States. It’s wearing manufacturer tags and likely just had its way with VW’s massive testing circuit in Phoenix.

The Passat Alltrack isn’t really related to our model, instead built on the European MQB platform that ours still isn’t. And the Alltrack has a trio of diesel mills that’ll never make their way to the States anyway. They can even be had with a manual transmission on the German Volkswagen configurator site that I didn’t just spend way too much time on.

The all-wheel drive wagon is, at best, never going to come here. It starts at around $30,000 in Germany.

Nonetheless, the near-unicorn (diesel, brown, wagon) was spotted on the streets in Phoenix — sunroof open and all.

Bless you, Don.



Aaron Cole
Aaron Cole

More by Aaron Cole

Comments
Join the conversation
4 of 39 comments
  • SmallCarsRock SmallCarsRock on Oct 31, 2015

    As mentioned by "derekson", that's not the Alltrack version. Also, in regards to unicorn status, and commenters lamenting that, "we'll never see this in the U.S.", unless dieselgate has changed VW's plans, the U.S. is at least getting the Golf Sportwagen version of the Alltrack. It will of course be 4Motion. However will have the TSI engine vs. the TDI, which was the plan even before the current TDI mess. It remains to be seen if it will be available in brown.

    • See 1 previous
    • SmallCarsRock SmallCarsRock on Oct 31, 2015

      @Drzhivago138 Agreed. Edited for clarity. The main point is that it's not an Alltrack. I'm actually very interested in the GSW Alltrack. I just hope that the VW crisis plan doesn't see it being cut from a NA introduction.

  • Corey Lewis Corey Lewis on Nov 02, 2015

    Places you definitely need AWD: The dry creek bed which is Phoenix. Actually though the 2.5 days I was there, it rained three times, ha.

  • Arthur Dailey The longest we have ever kept a car was 13 years for a Kia Rondo. Only ever had to perform routine 'wear and tear' maintenance. Brake jobs, tire replacements, fluids replacements (per mfg specs), battery replacement, etc. All in all it was an entirely positive ownership experience. The worst ownership experiences from oldest to newest were Ford, Chrysler and Hyundai.Neutral regarding GM, Honda, Nissan (two good, one not so good) and VW (3 good and 1 terrible). Experiences with other manufacturers were all too short to objectively comment on.
  • MaintenanceCosts Two-speed transfer case and lockable differentials are essential for getting over the curb in Beverly Hills to park on the sidewalk.
  • MaintenanceCosts I don't think any other OEM is dumb enough to market the system as "Full Self-Driving," and if it's presented as a competitor to SuperCruise or the like it's OK.
  • Oberkanone Tesla license their skateboard platforms to other manufacturers. Great. Better yet, Tesla manufacture and sell the platforms and auto manufacturers manufacture the body and interiors. Fantastic.
  • ToolGuy As of right now, Tesla is convinced that their old approach to FSD doesn't work, and that their new approach to FSD will work. I ain't saying I agree or disagree, just telling you where they are.
Next