Rides : Check Out The All New VW Passat Alltrack

We're pretty fond of the 2012 Volkswagen Passat, and we aren't alone. But for all of the vehicle's merits, there are a few of our favorite options missing from the American order sheet. For starters, buyers in the land of the free can't bring home a long-roof version of the mid-sizer, and all-wheel drive is nowhere to found either. These absences are made all the more painful by the fact that European buyers can snag this, the new 2012 Passat Alltrack. The vehicle is set to debut at this year's Tokyo Motor Show and boasts the Volkswagen 4Motion all-wheel drive system as well as a taller ride height for overcoming rough terrain and deep snow.

That smell? It's just the noxious fumes of envy wafting through the internet.

Volkswagen has thrown in a set of flared fender arches as well as revised front and rear bumpers. Under normal operation, the Passat Alltrack kicks 90 percent of the engine's power to the front axles, though 100 percent of the grunt can be shifted to the rear tires if need be. In the UK, buyers may chose between two variants of the German automaker's 2.0-liter TDI four-cylinder engine.

 

Press Release

RUGGED PASSAT ALLTRACK COVERS NEW GROUND FOR VOLKSWAGEN

Volkswagen has today released the first images of the new Passat Alltrack, which is making its world debut at the Tokyo Motor Show next week, ahead of its introduction to the market in early 2012.

Based on the popular and versatile Passat Estate, the Passat Alltrack adds 4MOTION four-wheel drive and a raised ride height that give it greater agility off-road, along with stylish body enhancements that also provide some protection from scrapes when covering rough terrain. These include stainless steel-look front and rear underbody protection panels and flared side sills. Other features include matt chrome roof rails, window surrounds, grille and exterior mirror casings.

At 4,771 mm, the Passat Alltrack is exactly the same length as the Passat Estate, and despite flared wheel arch protection the vehicle's width also remains the same at 1,820 mm. The suspension is raised to increase ground clearance from 135 to 165 mm, which also improves the ramp breakaway angle (significant when crossing the crest of a hill) from 9.5 to 12.8 degrees. Ruggedly styled front and rear bumpers increase the approach angle from 13.5 to 16 degrees, and the departure angle from 11.9 to 13.6 degrees.

As with other Volkswagen vehicles featuring 4MOTION, on the Passat Alltrack the front axle is usually driven, with only 10 per cent of propulsive power going to the rear axle. This saves on fuel. If necessary, almost 100 per cent of power can be sent to the rear axle, through use of an electrohydraulic Haldex clutch.

The Passat Alltrack also features an off-road mode, similar to that on the Tiguan Escape. When switched on (via a dashboard-mounted button), this activates hill descent assist, which automatically brakes the vehicle when the descent angle is greater than 10 degrees. The ABS function is also altered, with higher thresholds for operation on loose surfaces, along with faster-reacting electronic differential locks (EDS) to prevent wheelspin. For vehicles fitted with DSG dual-clutch transmission, the shift pattern is also altered when off-road mode is engaged, with higher shift points to give more power, a flatter and easier to manage accelerator pedal movement and no automatic upshifting in manual mode.

In the UK, the Passat Alltrack will be available as a 2.0-litre TDI 140 PS with six-speed manual gearbox or a 2.0-litre TDI 170 PS with six-speed DSG transmission. Standard equipment will include Alcantara upholstery, 2Zone electronic climate control, cruise control, tyre pressure monitoring system, MDI iPod connectivity, Bluetooth telephone preparation and 18-inch alloys.

Retailers in the UK are expected to start taking orders for the new car in April, with first deliveries scheduled for July. More details including pricing will be available nearer the launch date. For more information on the Volkswagen range visit www.volkswagen.co.uk.

Rides : The 2011 Volkswagen Passat

Here it is: the new 2011 Volkswagen Passat, the sedan VW wants to take America by sturm. How will it do so? By being $7,000 cheaper than the previous Passat, while getting bigger.

Just as it did with the new Jetta, VW has moved the Passat down the price ladder to what it thinks American midsize sedan buyers really want — more room for less money. While the outgoing Passat started at $27,000, VW will send in the new base model with a sub-$20,000 sticker, aiming directly for the masses testing the cupholders on four-cylinder Camrys, Accords and Sonatas.

The new Passat gets three engine options: the 2.5-liter 5-cylinder, good for 170 hp and 177 lb.-ft. of torque, the 2-liter diesel four-cylinder, and a 3.6-liter VR6 at 280 hp and 258 lb.-ft. The base Passat will offer the five-cylinder with a five-speed manual; six-speed automatics will go to the majority of buyers.

VW grew the Passat's body four inches to 191.4 inches, and now touts the most rear-seat legroom in the class. As for the interior VW promised it would show "the look of considerably more expensive cars" with a resemblance to the Tiguan's instrument panel.

But the grow-but-get-cheaper transformation on the Jetta hasn't been particularly welcome among its fans. It also goes against the steps every other automaker has been making to not only standardize their models around the world, but add higher-class features for ever-lower prices.

Here for example, is the new interior on the American Passat:

And here's what VW will offer Passat buyers in Europe, where it's still a near-luxury car:

The gentlemen from Wolfsburg didn't spend $1 billion on a new plant in Tennessee just to make a midsize sedan. Volkswagen wants to be the largest automaker in the world by 2018, and doing so requires it to nearly triple its U.S. sales from 360,000 last year to 1 million, 800,000 of which would need to be VW models — making VW as big here as Nissan is today.

In America, "frankly we lost our way," said Jonathan Browning, VW's U.S. chief. "We became a marginal player here in one of the world's most important markets. That's no longer acceptable."

He then handed the stage over to the band Train, whose lead singer Pat Monahan thanked the company: "Many of us were conceived in a VW bus, so thanks for life."

For all of the history VW made in the United States with the Beetle and other iconic vehicles, it has a history of expecting Americans to follow the commands from Germany and getting upset when they don't obey. It didn't work with the Phaeton; it hasn't worked with putting VW badges on a Chrysler minivan rather than reviving its own Microbus. Like Train, VW wants the biggest audience possible for its work. The trick is getting people to tune in rather than tune out.