Volkswagen to Debut its Alltrack Passat Wagon at Tokyo Motor Show
By Jake Lingeman
Volkswagen will debut a new wagon based on the European-market Passat at the Tokyo motor show. It's called the Alltrack and features the amenities people need for light-duty off-roading and light towing applications.
The Passat Alltrack has VW's 4Motion all-wheel-drive system that can send 100 percent of the power to the rear wheels if needed, but it normally bumbles around with front-wheel power.
The new car gets SUV-style bumpers with wheel-well and side-sill flares. It has a bigger off-road ramp angle, approach angle, departure angle and higher ground clearance all around. VW says it's an excellent alternative for driving on unpaved roads.
You can see the extra ground clearance in the photos, along with the more rugged-looking front clip. There seems to be some extra clearance in the wheel wells, too. Audi Allroad-like skid plates sit centrally in the front and rear.
Two turbocharged gasoline engines will be offered, along with two turbodiesel engines. Power ranges from 138 hp to 207 hp, depending on engine choice. The two higher-powered cars will get 4Motion as standard equipment, while on the 138-hp car it will be optional. A dual-clutch transmission is also standard on the top two models.
Market launch for the Alltrack is set for early 2012, but don't expect to see the upgraded wagon in the United States. It's Europe-only for now.
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The Passat is not at all underpowered! Especially the Diesels are very strong.
The US public is not yet used to modern Diesel technology for passenger cars.
Here's the rule of thumb to evaluate the power and performance of a Diesel:
forget about horsepower! Diesels are all about torque, and at which rpm level how much torque is available.
The 1.9 Liter Diesel engine in my Jetta delivers "only" 105 horsepower (DIN), but over 250 Newtonmeter of torque! At 1100 rpm I have already 220 Newtonmeter of torque at my disposal!
And here is the absolut surprise: this engine burns only 4.9 Liter of Diesel on 100 Kilometers. That's the aequivalent of 48 miles per gallon! Don't compare these stats with, for instance, a Toyota Prius. The diesel is fast and strong, and easily outperforms a Prius, or any hybrid, full electric and other similar technologies, and it is almost as fuel-efficient! Still wonder why over 50 % of all passenger cars sold in Europe are Diesel-powered?
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