27 July 2012 by Tim Bowdler, Deputy Editor

  • Alltrack with DSG isn’t the better option
  • Ride is bouncy, throttle response can irritate
  • Impressive loadspace and off-road capabilities

At first glance the VW Passat Alltrack is the ultimate multi-tasker. It has the practicality you need from an estate thanks to a cavernous boot, the go-anywhere capabilities of a 4x4 and the prestige of a premium Volkswagen badge.

It certainly ticks a lot of boxes, in particular the practicality one thanks to the loadspace on offer. With the rear seats up there’s 603 litres of space to play with but if you need to stow much bulkier items then you can fold the rear seats down to expand the boot to 1,641 litres.

That's massive when you consider the rivals: the Audi A4 Allroad offers 490 litres and 1,430 litres respectively, while the Volvo XC70 has a luggage space of 815 litres or 1,600 litres with the rear seats down.

So, apart from the big boot, what else makes the VW Passat Alltrack an attractive proposition?

Well, the Alltrack has a ground clearance of 165mm, which is 30mm more than the standard Passat. It also has a four-wheel drive system and that means it can handle muddy fields and rutted roads without the worry of getting stranded.

Of course it's not a true-blue 4x4 but it’s a decent compromise if you live in the country. In a bid to underscore its 4x4 credentials it has a towing capacity of two tonnes. That's 200kg more than the standard Passat.

The Alltrack has oversized bumpers that make for an improved approach angle. This means it’s less likely to get stuck at the bottom of steep descents. The car also features hill decent assist, which automatically brakes the vehicle when the descent angle is greater than 10 degrees and there’s faster-reacting electronic differential locks – called EDS – to help prevent wheelspin too. There’s an off-road button that activates these systems when you are negotiating the rougher terrain.

It’s powered by a 2.0-litre diesel but you can chose either a 138bhp version with a six-speed manual gearbox, or a 167bhp version with a six-speed DSG automatic gearbox.

During this test we were driving the higher powered DSG-equipped version that’ll accelerate from zero to 62mph in 8.9 seconds. Its top speed is 131mph. It sounds decent enough but we think there’s just too much delay when you accelerate, due to the sluggish gearbox, and that makes the car feel slow. Even in the auto’s Sport mode the Alltrack feels laborious.

We think that the lower-powered Alltrack, which we have tested previously, is the more preferable option because the manual gearbox is much better. The 138bhp model is also cheaper to run, returning an average of 47.3mpg which is 2.3mpg better than the 167bhp version. The 138bhp Alltrack emits 150g/km of CO2 compared with 155g/km on the DSG model.

On the Tarmac the Alltrack isn’t what you would call dynamic but it is dependable. It tends to lunge into corners and you do get quite a bit of body lean. It grips nicely, however. The ride is a little on the firm side, which means it does get bouncy on undulating roads.

You can alter the suspension but the differences are minimal. Three modes are on offer: Comfort for long journeys, Normal for town driving and Sport for when driving enthusiastically. The optional DCC adaptive chassis control adapts damping to how you drive and the system will react to acceleration, braking and steering inputs to give better handling.

The major drawback is the price. The lower-powered Alltrack will set you back £28,480, which is more expensive than a VW Tiguan and in same ball park as an Audi Q5 – both cars with better off-roading abilities but with sizeable load areas.

The Alltrack does have a decent amount of kit though and includes equipment like sat-nav as standard.

It's not a bad option if you off-road occasionally but then again the Subaru Forester, which starts at around £23,000, does pretty much the same job. Admittedly it's not quite as stylish though.

The Volkswagen Alltrack 2.0 TDI Bluemotion Tech 4MOTION DSG is available now for £31,030.

Also consider:

Audi Q5

This is the car you would go for if badge snobbery is at the top of your list of priorities. It’s good off-road and it’s pretty impressive on the Tarmac too.

VW Tiguan

Affordable off-roader with a benefit of a premium badge and plenty of boot space.

Subaru Forester

Capable on the rough stuff, but not an out-and-out high-riding 4x4. Lacks prestige but it’s dirt cheap.