This is not a crossover.
Crossovers are a sort of blend between SUV and car, and are the most popular things on the road of late. Everywhere you look, there’s another one.
Except, of course, if you happen to look in your driveway and see one of these, the Volkswagen Golf Alltrack. It’s not a crossover, and thank goodness for a bit of variety.
Here are a few of the reasons people buy crossovers: higher ride height, mild off-road capability, the security of all-wheel drive, and excellent cargo-carrying capacity.
The Alltrack, which as I’ve mentioned is not a crossover, offers all of the above. Then, because it’s actually a wagon, it drives much better than most high-centre-of-gravity crossovers. It’s all the practicality, but with the pleasure of driving a car.
However, the Alltrack was launched a few years ago, and everywhere I look people are still buying crossovers. They’re even still buying them from Volkswagen dealerships, where you’d have to walk right past the Alltrack to pick out a Tiguan or something. Let’s see if the Alltrack is the solution to crossover fatigue, or just a niche player.
Design
Volkswagen is one of the last manufacturers on the market to resist the urge for over-styling. As the Alltrack is part of the Golf lineup, that means a pleasantly bland appearance, with squarish lines and a minimum of add-ons.
That’s not meant to be faint praise. After staring down the gullet of yet another puffy luxury sport-utility vehicle that looks like a whale had an affair with a Philishave electric razor, the Alltrack’s no-nonsense Germanic air comes as a relief. I mean, finally, a car that doesn’t look like it also works for julienning carrots.
Compared to the standard Golf Sportwagen, the Alltrack sits slightly higher, and has some butch-looking plastic cladding added. They haven’t overdone things, however, and even the optional 18-inch wheels look right-sized.
Think of the Alltrack as a better-dressed Subaru Outback, and on you go.
Environment
Because it’s based on the Golf, the Alltrack is a compact car. I mentioned the Subaru Outback just recently, but you can’t quite compare the two for practicality, as the Outback is a full-sized wagon, and offers more passenger space.
However, for most young families, the Alltrack is completely practical. Getting car seats into the rear for the kiddos is made easy by sensibly covered clips, and the rear trunk space is easily huge enough to swallow everything from strollers to kid’s bikes.
Then, for driver and passenger, the Alltrack offers a pleasing environment that’s not far off what you’d get from Audi. Clean, straight-forward, and uncluttered, this is the sort of thing that got people interested in VWs in the first place.
Over longer trips, the seats are quite comfortable, but firm. Further, the technology interface works well overall, but is a little less intuitive than icon-based systems from Hyundai or even Dodge. Also, a bit more cabin storage wouldn’t go amiss.
Overall, though, the Alltrack feels well thought-out, and a cut above the sometimes overwrought interiors thrust on consumers these days.
Performance
Equipped with a 1.8-litre turbocharged engine making 170 horsepower, you might expect the Alltrack to be quick enough but not really much fun. However, I did say turbocharged, and turbocharged means torque.
With 199 foot-pounds of torque on offer for the six-speed dual-clutch automatic or 189 foot-pounds for the manual, the Alltrack’s sprightly engine gets it up to highway speeds quickly. The manual will do 0-100 kilometres per hour in less than seven seconds, which is not far off what a GTI from a decade ago would manage.
Handling is also better than expected. Despite the raised ride height, the Alltrack seems to roll into corners not much more than its other Golf counterparts. The windier the road, the better the Alltrack likes it.
And, happily, there’s a bit of off-road utility to be had as well. While it doesn’t have as much clearance as a Subaru Forester or similar, the Alltrack should be more than up to the sort of gravel road tramping around that any outdoorsy types might want to do. It easily handles forest service roads, even ones that are quite rutted.
No, VW’s all-wheel-drive system won’t beat a proper four-wheel-drive setup for true back-country stuff, but the Alltrack is surprisingly well-rounded. It’s great to drive on the road, with a little bit of added confidence off the road.
Features
The one potential downfall of the Alltrack? At $31,200 to start and $40,205 as-tested, the Alltrack isn’t cheap. Owners are being asked to pay a premium here for not driving a crossover.
Official fuel economy figures are pretty average overall, but the Alltrack does achieve them in real world driving. It’ll do 11.1 litres/100 kilometres in the city, and 7.8 l/100 km on the highway. Despite the turbocharged engine, premium fuel is not required.
Green Light
Excellent road manners; plenty of cargo space; stylish looks.
Stop sign
Expensive with options; rear seat space limited for adults.
The checkered flag
A pricey, but great-to-drive alternative to the ubiquitous crossover.
Competitor
Subaru Outback ($29,295):
The other alternative to a crossover is the Subaru Outback. As mentioned, this is a larger vehicle than the Alltrack, but the pricing is pretty similar.
With the Outback, you get more. More space, more off-road capability, and an interior that looks like it might handle more abuse. However, this chassis is getting quite dated, and the four-cylinder version of the Outback provides fairly leisurely acceleration.
The Alltrack is the sportier of these two automotive backpacks, the Outback is roomier. Take your pick.
