Here is something new from VW. The all track Passat is a wagon intended to grab Subarus range of off road vehicles by the horns, but how does it stack up?
The Passat comes with many more creature comforts than any Subaru. Features and interior superiority go to the VW however there are a few things to watch out for with the Passat. Firstly the ground clearance is not as high as the Subarus, making it not as ideal for the off roading as perhaps we first thought. Secondly the All wheel drive System, whilst standing up to most test criteria is still running off the VW DSG transmission which can be somewhat problematic.
We have covered the DSG Faults in the past, if you want more information feel free to check out the article below.
DSG Transmission Fault.
Aside from those two things the Passat is nearly perfect.
Some consumers have complained that the Passat has dropped the ball a little bit on the VW high level of interior design with harder plastics used a lot more in this vehicle rather than the fabric and leather trim VW is known for.
Around town and city driving the Passat has all the luxury and styling you would expect from a VW with a few extra perks. The drivers seat comes with a massage option so you can risk falling asleep whilst the chair gives you a good back rub. The dash comes with a complete touch screen interface allowing vehicles set up and stereo controls at the touch of a screen.
The Passat Alltrack doers boast a huge towing capacity over its competitors. This car will tow up to 2200Kgs so a caravan or boat on your adventures is not out of the question.
And cargo space in the VW is the largest of VW complete range and leaves Subarus luggage space for dead.
Off road the all track is not really able to compete with Subaru. Hardly surprising as Subaru have been doing this for years. The ground clearance as already mentioned is a little too low for adventuring. On gravel or dirt the car is up to the task but requires traction control to save the car more often than expected.
Whilst a beautiful car to drive it is our opinion that for the off road tasks the Alltrack is not quite up to the task. The real question you will need to ask yourself is are you willing to sacrifice a little bit of the off road capability in exchange for the VW styling and comfort. For most id say the pay off is worth it.
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