VW has given us a preview of the Passat Alltrack that is going to debut at the Tokyo Motor Show. The Passat Alltrack is based on the Passat Estate that we unfortunately do not get in the U.S.
The Passat Alltrack is a more rugged version of the Passat Estate with its 4Motion all-wheel-drive system and raised ride height. The Passat Alltrack also gets extra body cladding to protect it from the elements when the paved road ends.
The 4Motion all-wheel-drive system sends 90 percent of the power to the front wheels during normal driving to save fuel, but if extra traction is need almost 100 percent of the power can be sent to the rear wheels. The Passat Alltrack also has an off-road mode that can be switched on via a dashboard-mounted button. The off-road mode activates hill descent assist, which automatically brakes the vehicle when the descent angle is greater than 10 degrees.
In the UK the VW Passat Alltrack, which will be in dealers by July can be powered by either a 2.0L TDI mated to a six-speed manual or a 2.0L TDI mated to a six-speed DSG transmission.