VW Passat AllTrack Just a Concept, for Now: 2012 New York Auto Show
At least that’s the case in the U.S. In Europe a production version of this wagon has been on sale for several months, but despite being on display at this year’s New York Auto Show, the official line from Volkswagen was just a study designed to gauge public reaction.
However, given the success of vehicles like Subaru’s Legacy Outback here and even Audi’s AllRoad, it seems like a no-brainer to us for a North American version to be made available to dealers.
However, the powertrain may be of some concern in the American market. The European car is offered with a choice of 2.0-liter diesels (the concept in NY sports the 140 hp version) though making that marketable here would probably require a gas option.
That said, a combination of 4Motion all-wheel drive, raised ride height, electronic locking differentials and decent cargo capacity are bound to strike a chord with a healthy portion of North American vehicle shoppers. We’ll see if VW has anything else to say about it once New York show wraps up.
GALLERY: Volkswagen Passat AllTrack concept
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Hopefully VW won't shy away from the diesel as the only choice for this wagon. Some car maker needs to take the chance and push the idiotic American population towards the light that is diesel fuel. It's just ideal for what the North American population likes - lots of torque, low noise, great mileage. I think they need to bring a lowered version here - make it the Passat GTI wagon with awd diesel and maybe some added hybrid power.
My wife and I currently have a TDI Jetta wagon now and we are in love with the torque, the Tiguan beating cargo space and the amazing 40mpg. But we could use the extra space and we absolutely need the AWD for the places we drive. If Subaru made a TDI we would consider trading our Jetta. This car would be just the ticket in far nicer looking package. And we might even keep the Jetta along side it.