Volkswagen Passat

The Volkswagen Passat Alltrack is a problem solver. One that tries to distil the varied needs of adventurous urbanites into something with the extra ride height, packaging and all-wheel-drive traction of an SUV that also drives like a car.

Although Subaru deserves credit for creating the concept in the mid-90s with the Outback, Volkswagen offers buyers a premium alternative without the steep price climb attached to an Audi A6 Allroad.

Recently, a new Alltrack arrived in Australia. This facelifted sixth-generation of the Passat's outdoorsy variant brings a fresh powertrain, tweaked exterior styling and an updated interior. It’s somewhat late, though, given production schedule changes in Germany delayed the range’s arrival by more than a year.

As for what’s changed, VW replaced the Alltrack’s long-standing sole 140TDI diesel powertrain with a petrol 162TSI version. It retains a layout consisting of an east-west 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder engine and dual-clutch transmission, supplying all wheels with drive.

Buyers are offered the choice of two trim levels: the base 162TSI and the more richly equipped 162TSI Premium.

Visually, the Alltrack sports updated headlights and taillights to complement a redesigned lower grille in the front bumper. Inside it scores a new climate control pad with touch function and an updated steering wheel design.

Although Subaru deserves credit for the concept, Volkswagen offers buyers a premium alternative without the steep price to an Audi A6 Allroad.

Choosing the base 162TSI sees pricing start at $48,990 before on-road costs, while the 162TSI Premium commands a $12,000 jump, totalling $60,990. Quite the leap, but it comes with a lot of extra equipment.

Alltrack Premiums wear exclusive Albertville 19-inch rims (up from 18s on the base) and their windows behind the B-pillar are tinted. The Premium also scores different LED taillights, shared with Elegance and R-Line Passats, and Matrix LED headlights with cornering and self-levelling functions.

Security-wise, the central locking system incorporates VW’s Safelock mechanism, rendering the handles inoperable if activated – complemented by an alarm system that monitors the interior and the car’s tilt angle. Premiums also come with an automatic tailgate.

Once inside, drivers are greeted by heated and ventilated front seats. They also boast 14-way power adjustability with massage, easy access and memory functions. Vienna leather replaces cloth trim in both rows, as well.

Matte chrome inserts make way for brushed aluminium, while chrome highlights finish the window control switches. The ambient cabin lighting can also display up to 30 colour combinations.

Technology is upgraded as well. Take the 10.25-inch digital cluster with customisable displays, for instance, or the centre 9.2-inch touchscreen loaded with a surround-view camera function and Harman Kardon audio.

Given the exhaustive list of standard features, the optional extras list is thin. Our Premium variant wears Aquamarine blue metallic paint, adding another $800 to its price before on-roads, coming in at $61,790 before on-road costs.

You’re also backed by a five-year unlimited-kilometre warranty and fixed-price servicing for the same period. VW also offers the chance to bundle the service schedules into three- or five-year service plans that can save almost $1100 off the fixed-price servicing fee when you pay upfront.

Despite riding 30mm higher than regular Passat wagons, the difference doesn’t make the process of sitting inside easier, as someone cross-shopping an SUV might hope.

Day-to-day, Volkswagen wants the 162TSI Premium’s fuel tank filled with 95 RON or better. Based on the ADR combined fuel consumption test cycle, the 162TSI officially consumes 8.1L/100km.

Our 162TSI Premium chugged down 9.1L/100km after covering 229km with us in one week but we suspect some performance testing involving timed 0-100km/h acceleration runs and hard cornering spiked the consumption figure beyond the ADR claim.

As a result, the Alltrack’s true thirst might lie somewhere near the middle of the claimed and tested consumption figure at around 8.6L/100km. Equipped with a 66L tank, that should equal around 690km of range if you’re filling up with a 10 per cent fuel reserve left.

Despite the Alltrack sitting 30mm higher than regular Passat wagons or 69mm higher than Passat sedans, the difference doesn’t make the process of sitting inside notably easier, as someone cross-shopping the Alltrack against an SUV might hope.

Once inside, however, the seating position is incredibly comfortable. The wide footwell hosting dead pedals on either side speaks to the room on offer. With the driver’s seat in its lowest position, I had almost a hand’s width of headroom, suggesting it would easily accommodate drivers beyond my 178cm height.

Room in the second row is impressive, with almost a hand’s width of knee room behind my own driving position. The rear seat cushions are a touch firmer than the front items, but adjustable climate control, large door bins, window blinds and a panoramic sunroof go some way to softening the blow of pulling the short straw and sitting up back.

As for the boot, the Alltrack boasts 650L of cargo space and a 1.17m-long floor while the rear seats are upright, no matter what variant. That’s 64L more than the Passat sedan but 0.1m shorter on floor length. However, drop the rear seats with the remote release levers and the Alltrack can swallow 1780L with a floor extended to 2.01m long (or 628L over the sedan, but still 0.1m shorter).

Cabin useability is further boosted by three top-mounted child seat tether points and ISOFIX anchors on the outboard rear seats. An added benefit is the Premium's rear row can split with a 40:20:40 ratio, opposed to the base car’s 60:40 ratio.

But the cabin’s real draw is the 9.2-inch central touchscreen and 10.25-inch instrument cluster (Digital Cockpit Pro) combination. Clear graphics on either screen present Volkswagen’s software with intuitive menu structures and responsive functionality.

Volkswagen’s Passat earned a five-star ANCAP rating when the current generation debuted in 2015. Since then, the range has been upgraded with the brand’s IQ Drive active safety tech on all variants, adding lane-keep assist for low-level autonomous driving.

Up front, the Passat body structure’s narrow front pillars promote excellent forward vision, especially around the wing mirrors, where the gap between the post and mirror is notably wide. Good over-shoulder vision and a wide rear windscreen help, too.

This outward vision contributes to the Passat Alltrack’s manoeuvrability around town, even though it’s a big car. At 4780mm long, the Alltrack is nearing large segment territory while its plastic body cladding widens the car’s dimensions by 21mm, from 1832mm to 1853mm.

The electric steering is accurate and lightly weighted, and the Alltrack responds keenly to inputs off-centre. And while the all-wheel-drive system is biased towards the front wheels, the Haldex centre coupling diff can react instantly to ensure the Alltrack never wheel spins when powering out of tight turns.

Adaptive damping comes on both Alltrack trims, but in the Premium’s case, it insulates you from the way the Premium’s 19-inch wheels deflect over broken surfaces. There is a downside to the Alltrack’s pliancy, though. Driven aggressively, it can struggle to rein its 1700kg-plus kerb weight in corners. But it’s friendly natured as you approach the limit.

While the AWD system is biased towards the front, the Haldex centre diff can react instantly to ensure the Alltrack never wheel spins when powering out of tight turns.

There’s plenty of grunt on offer. With 162kW and 350Nm, the petrol Alltrack boasts 22kW on top of the old diesel version while delivering 50Nm less. It’s a punchy, flexible engine that provides smooth performance when matched with the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

On a roll, it accelerates from 80km/h to 120km/h in 4.75sec, smoothly revving out in-gear past the 6500rpm soft redline and upshifting in a blink just short of its 7000rpm hard redline. From a dig, it’ll also reliably blast to 100km/h in 6.86sec when you use launch control (and switch off ESP).

Ultimately, plenty will consider the VW Passat Alltrack 162TSI Premium and the closely priced and more powerful Volvo V60 B5 Cross Country ($64,990 before on-roads and with 192kW/400Nm) based on their refined appearance and premium vibe alone.

The Subaru Outback Touring, for $48,990 before on-road costs, is a compelling alternative for someone less worried about pretensions. Still, the Alltrack offers the classy driving experience to back up its upmarket interior and exterior.

Of course, paying $12K on top of a base Alltrack is hard to justify when you already get the same cushioned ride, sharp steering and punchy performance, but the Premium wants for little in terms of equipment and technology.

And we suspect that full-fruit appeal suits a model trying to please more types of people, like couples and families who value luxury without excess and practicality without compromise but have a single driveway spot.

And it’s that all-around goodness for which Volkswagen is known that shines in the Alltrack.

2021 Volkswagen Passat 162TSI Alltrack Premium specifications