Volkswagen Golf Alltrack

The Volkswagen Golf SportWagen is cool, but someone must have been asking for more capability and a little bit of off-road ability, something along the lines of corporate sibling Audi’s A4-based allroad. And so, the Volkswagen Golf Alltrack debuts in Miami. The wagon is an endangered form, with just a few examples available right now. The closer the Alltrack tracks as a crossover, the greater its success will be. The wagon looks great, with an assertive stance that’s just a little higher than the SportWagen’s, but not so high that it sacrifices much stability. Full-time 4motion all-wheel drive is a standard defining feature on the Alltrack, and will soon be available on the SportWagen as well.

linky

There was a TDI version amongst the Press/Car Show fleet ~18 months ago. I was excited, but I guess the diesel version has been aborted now.

Worked for Subaru, Audi and Volvo. As long as people forget that Germans Manufacturers are liars, cheaters and raging A-Holes, VW should do OK with it. I'm still waiting on this:

or this...

All manufacturers are liars, cheats and shiny happy people. I hope it does well. We need more wagons and minivans on the market. More versatility and better looking than a sedan.

Will someone please dethrone Subaru as the only affordable true AWD maker?!?!?!?

Trackmouse wrote: Will someone please dethrone Subaru as the only affordable true AWD maker?!?!?!?

thats the issue. I was looking for something to possibly replace my 1.0 fiesta and i was looking for AWD/Manual and at least 30mpg combined. There were 2 options(3 if you stretch for the crosstrek): The Impreza and the Jeep Renegade which got throw out immediately as i dont trust FCA at all.

So exactly WHOSE brilliant idea was it to debut a soft-roader built for winter weather in a state that is flat as a billiard table and never sees snow?

pinchvalve wrote: or this...

SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY.

In reply to Duke:

Have you read anything related to VWNA that makes any berkeleying sense recently?

In reply to Trackmouse:

Because other than Subaru people who don't know any better, everyone else wants decent cars that don't sound like or drive like tractors. Honestly, they just have brand loyalty down, no matter how many other decent AWD and 4WD passenger vehicles there are, many of them competitive in price and capabilities.

heh... All-Trac(Toyota), or Alltrack(VW)

Well it's not like I'm bagging Subaru. I just miss the glory days of Japan 90's when EVERY SINGLE MANUFACTURER had an AWD in the line up, and the correct AWD at that!

I mean, damn, even Honda had there funky AWD/fwd civic!

In reply to Trackmouse:

I am, I don't like them. I respect what they've accomplished in Rally racing, mostly through sheer luck and determination, but for the most part I could do without them in the world. Keep in mind, I live in Portland, one of the epicenters of Subaru ownership and WRX/STi douchebaggery. They are only second in overall automotive annoyances to Harley riders with open pipes and are tied with "coal rollers" depending on my mood on any given day.

Anyway, many manufacturers still have their AWD vehicles, they just put the expensive drivetrain bits into their most profitable vehicles and/or they don't bring them stateside because they wouldn't sell.

One thing to keep in mind; with the advent of better electronics and software, many of the engineering goals for the vehicles are met via software based traction control and lightweight AWD instead of the heavy, full tilt AWD systems like the Audi and Toyota of old.

Think of it this way: Since the WRC and many other professional rally series no longer care about production car homologation and most road racing series also don't care about AWD or production cars, there is no need to develop the crazy production versions of their rally cars to meet the rules.

Heck, Subaru doesn't even participate in WRC anymore due to the spec transaxle they use not being compatible with their boxer engines.

This is why I want to buy a Focus RS, its a bonkers AWD turbo street car that isn't a Subaru and that needs to be supported. So often the car dorks here beg and plead with companies to build cars for them and the few times they do, we rarely show up until the fire sale is in full swing with a comment about how no one makes cars for them anymore, etc.

We may get one of these to replace wife's Mazda3. I'd jump on the Golf R Sportwagen if they would sell it here.

Yahoo test drive. It has an off-road mode and sits 0.6 inches higher than the Sportwagen. How does that make it an off-roader?

Test Drive

In reply to MrChaos:

The fixing of FCA is underway. The 2.4L Renegade can be trusted.

In reply to pinchvalve:

I wish the wagon made it here. The sedan in rwd with the diesel and manual is properly fun.

I am a little confused by the golf... does this mean an end to the Jetta? It was always the Golf that was the 3 and 5 door hatch.. and the Jetta that the 2,4, and 5 door sedan and wagon. Now that the Golf is a 5 door wagon.. what's the point of the Jetta?

mad_machine wrote: I am a little confused by the golf... does this mean an end to the Jetta? It was always the Golf that was the 3 and 5 door hatch.. and the Jetta that the 2,4, and 5 door sedan and wagon. Now that the Golf is a 5 door wagon.. what's the point of the Jetta?

The Jetta is just the sedan now. They're fixing the naming to match up with what the cars actually are. Starting with the MK6, the Jetta sedan was no longer on the same platform as the Golf, while the Jetta Sportwagen was just a stretched 4dr Golf.

When I was 5 my Dad bought a Rabbit, followed by a Dasher wagon, followed by a 78 Scirocco, followed by an 86 GTI, which was followed by an 87 Jetta GLI. My college graduation gift was a 1981 Scirocco. ( no I wasn't a rich kid, I graduated in 93, and the car was $2,500)

I grew up in a VW household, and I loved my Scirocco dearly. Since the MkII VWs though, I haven't been able to get excited about any of their products. Combine this with their reliability problems, and increasing weight and complexity, and I left VW a while ago.

Now, with their blatant lying, in order to be able to pollute more---- they are dead to me. I understand they may produce great cars in the future, but I won't buy them. I can't blame any one else if they do...... but I don't think I'll ever consider buying another VW product. (not new at least....I'd still buy a Mk I or MK II GTI, or a MK I Scirocco) What they did was really lousy.....they endangered people's health, they cheated the industry, and they cheated their loyal customers. Sure other auto manufacturers have done some pretty lousy things, but not on this scale. This was intentional, this was a plan that came from the top. Their entire board of directors should be fired, and maybe even serve time in jail.

Does anyone know when these should be hitting dealers? I can't find anything about it on VW's website. My father-in-law may be in the market for something downsized from his dying LR Discovery, and this might be the ticket.

Ooo, look, it's an Outback.

In reply to DWNSHFT:

That's one hell of an upmarket Outback.