Volkswagen Passat Alltrack Review

The Alltrack is based on one of the most spacious, practical and understated cars you can buy. What the Volkswagen Passat lacks in glamour, it makes up for in terms of smart styling, an upmarket cabin and value for money.

This isn’t a cheap car. The price tag places the Alltrack near the top of the Passat range, so you might be wondering if it’s worth upgrading to the Audi A4 Allroad. You’re right to ponder, because the Allroad feels just that little bit more special.

The Passat Alltrack is a thoroughly convincing car. If you require the practicality of one of the largest boots in its class, all the equipment you could ever need, and the efficiency of a diesel engine, this is undoubtedly the right car for you.

If you’re buying a new Volkswagen Passat Alltrack, it’s very much a case of ‘take it or leave it’. Alltrack is essentially a distinct trim level in the Passat range, with equipment based on the lavish R-Line trim. This means it comes loaded with kit straight out of the box, along with the benefit of a raised ride height and some rugged body cladding.

It’s a similar story when it comes to the engine and transmission, with Alltrack buyers limited to a 2.0-litre TDI engine and a seven-speed DSG transmission. Fortunately, the diesel engine provides a terrific balance of performance and economy.

At least you’re able to choose the colour. The Alltrack comes in Urano Grey as standard, but there are 10 other hues to choose from. May we recommend Bottle Green? It’s bespoke to the Alltrack and it suits the car’s outdoor vibe.

The jacked-up estate car market is a small but fiercely competitive sector. Although many buyers prefer the high driving position and perceived prestige of an SUV, some buyers remain loyal to the estate car.

Some of the Passat Alltrack’s key rivals come from within the Volkswagen Group stable. The Audi A4 Allroad is more expensive but feels more upmarket, while the Skoda Octavia Scout offers exceptional value for money. There’s also a Seat Leon X-Perience, but this has been discontinued.

Rivals from outside the Volkswagen Group include the Volvo V60 Cross Country and the Subaru Outback. You could also consider the old Vauxhall Insignia Country Tourer, although you might struggle to find one.

The Passat has always felt a cut above its mainstream rivals and this feeling is enhanced in the Alltrack. It’s not quite up to Audi or Mercedes-Benz standards, but you’d struggle to pick holes in it.

The doors shut with a reassuring ‘thud’, and there’s a good use of soft-touch materials in all the right places. Sure, you’ll find some cheap plastics in the lower reaches of the cabin, but that’s true of most cars, even in the class above.

A leather-trimmed steering wheel comes as standard, along with ambient lighting, heated seats and three-zone climate control. Although you don’t get leather upholstery, the ‘Summit’ cloth seats feel suitably upmarket and help to improve the ambience of the cabin.

We also think that the Alltrack looks more upmarket than the R-Line and R-Line Edition. While the Alltrack boasts classy and understated styling, the R-Line models appear aggressive and showy.

As one of the more expensive models in the range, the Passat Alltrack gets an eight-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system as standard. This is a far better unit than the smaller 6.5-inch unit found in the entry-level version.

It’s one of the most intuitive systems on the market, with a clear and crisp display that’s easy to use on the move.

The Discover Navigation system features satellite navigation, eight speakers, DAB digital radio, speed limit display, Bluetooth audio and telephone, USB charging, voice control, European mapping, 3D maps, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

You also get a three-year subscription to We Connect Plus. This provides access to navigation-based services for traffic information, online route calculation, petrol stations, parking spaces and points of interest.

It’s possible to upgrade to the Discover Navigation Pro 9.2-inch touchscreen with gesture control. This is standard on the R-Line Edition and GTE Advance, but a costly option on the Alltrack.

We’d recommend the optimal 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster. It replaces the standard dials with a configurable display, with five different modes available. It’s similar to Audi’s ‘Virtual Cockpit’ and delivers the same wow-factor.

The Volkswagen Passat estate is one of the most practical cars in its class, but the Alltrack isn’t quite as cavernous as its standard sibling. With the rear seats in use, the boot offers 639 litres of luggage capacity, which is less than the 650 litres you’ll find in the regular estate. We doubt you’ll miss those 11 litres.

Fold the seats down and you’re greeted with a huge 1,780 litres of space, which gives the Alltrack the feel of an off-road van, albeit with a plush interior and bling alloy wheels. The rear seats split 40/20/40, which provides maximum flexibility.

The electric tailgate opens to reveal a large and wide opening, along with a low loading lip and a flush floor. It loses marks for the rear seats not folding entirely flat, but that’s a minor annoyance. Thanks to the shape of the boot and the high roofline, you’ll still be able to fit some furniture in the back.

Although Volkswagen claims the Passat Alltrack is a five-seater, it works best as an estate car with four seats. There’s plenty of headroom in the back, but space in the middle seat is restricted by a high transmission tunnel and a protruding storage box. The seat sits higher than the outer pair, so it’s best reserved for occasional use and small children. You’ll find Isofix points on the outer seats.

Up front, there’s ample headroom and shoulder room for the driver and passenger. The glovebox is of a reasonable size, but you get a pair of cupholders in the centre console, a slim storage area under the climate control dials, large door pockets and a central storage bin. There are also cupholders in the rear armrest.

It’s certainly spacious, but the Passat Alltrack lacks the clever storage solutions and flexibility of a modern SUV. It also misses out on the high driving position, which somehow serves to make an SUV feel more spacious.

On the plus side, it does come with a full size spare wheel, which should be standard equipment in any car with a degree of off-road ability.

There’s only one engine available. Fortunately it’s a good one, with the 2.0-litre TDI offering a terrific blend of performance and economy. Thanks to 190PS and 400Nm of torque, it’ll sprint to 62mph in 8.5 seconds, before hitting a top speed of 223km/h (139mph).

It’s also remarkably efficient for a four-wheel-drive car, with the potential to return 45.9mpg on a combined cycle. This means it’s more economical than the petrol engines, but only slightly less efficient than the 1.6-litre diesel available on the regular Passat.

The power is transmitted to the wheels via a seven-speed DSG transmission, with paddle shifts on the steering wheel for increased control. Although it can be a little hesitant at low speeds and in traffic, it seems to suit the relaxed nature of the Passat Alltrack.

A smaller 150PS version of the 2.0-litre TDI engine was available in the past. It could hit 62mph in 9.0 seconds, going on to reach a top speed of 205km/h (127mph). It was paired with a six-speed manual gearbox.

We actually prefer the smaller engine. Thanks to peak torque of 340Nm at 1,750rpm, the engine doesn’t have to be worked hard to make swift progress, while the gear change is positive and satisfying. It’s a shame that you’re limited to the 190PS version and the DSG transmission in 2020.

Refinement is a bit of a mixed bag. The faster you go, the more impressive it becomes, but this isn’t an invitation to drive everywhere at full speed.

There are two problems when going slower. The diesel engine is noisy at clattery at idle, sounding more like a taxi than a premium estate. Then there’s the DSG transmission, which is jerky and hesitant at low speeds, and slow to respond to your right foot.

Things improve when you’re cruising. Excellent sound insulation ensures you’re cushioned from the diesel engine and road noise, while wind noise is far from intrusive. The DSG is also less of an issue – adopt a relaxed approach to driving and it’s perfectly acceptable.

It also feels tight and secure when you’re travelling off-road. There’s no sense of the transmission sending power between the front and rear axles, while the cabin remains free of squeaks and rattles, even when the going gets tough.

Sure, the Passat Alltrack can’t rival a proper off-roader, but it’s more than up to the challenge of some light green laning and country pursuits.

Crucially, it’s an excellent towing vehicle. In 2016, the Passat Alltrack was voted Towcar of the Year in the annual Caravan Club awards. The judges liked the trailer assist system and the visual display showing the steering angle and how alternative steering inputs will affect the route of the trailer.

The Volkswagen Passat saloon was awarded a maximum five-star safety rating when it was crash-tested by Euro NCAP in 2014. Although this was based on the saloon, the rating still applies to the estate.

The individual scores were impressive: 85% for adult occupant protection, 87% for child occupant protection, 66% for pedestrian safety, and 76% for safety assist technology.

Predictably, the Passat Alltrack comes with an impressive suite of safety equipment as standard. The list includes multiple airbags, post-collision braking system, electronic stability control, pre-crash preventive occupant protection, a tyre pressure loss indicator and Isofix points on the outer rear seats.

There’s also a range of driver assistance systems, including adaptive cruise control, city emergency braking, driver alert system, hill-hold function, automatic driving lights, lane assist, traffic jam assist, front and rear parking sensors, and rain-sensing wipers.

In the Alltrack, you also benefit from 4Motion four-wheel-drive, which provides added reassurance on greasy roads and during the winter months. We’d argue also that the extra cladding provides some additional reassurance – for the car, if not for you. The enhanced safety and reassurance of the Alltrack model is reflected in lower insurance premiums.

The Volkswagen Passat Alltrack gets an insurance group rating of 25 (out of 50). This means it will cost roughly the same to insure as a Passat diesel in SE L trim. It will cost significantly less to insure an Alltrack than a R-Line Edition (group 33). This is because Alltrack drivers are likely to be more considerate and drive with greater care. Possibly.

An Audi A4 Allroad is likely to cost more to insure (groups 26 to 41), but a Skoda Octavia Scout will be cheaper (groups 19 to 25).

The first-year car tax rates changed on the 1 April 2020. Thanks to CO2 emissions of 127g/km, the Volkswagen Passat Alltrack costs £215 to tax in the first year, although this is included in the ‘showroom tax’.

From year two, the rate drops to a flat rate of £150, which is the same for all Passat models except the hybrid. This is the price you’ll pay for a Passat Alltrack registered on or after 1 April 2017.

For Passat models registered on or before 31 March 2017, the rate varies according to the CO2 emissions. Buy a Passat Alltrack with a manual gearbox and you’ll pay £125 a year in Vehicle Excise Duty (VED). The rate is slightly higher for the DSG transmission, but £150 is no higher than the cost of taxing a new Passat Alltrack.

The Volkswagen Passat Alltrack spec is based on the R-Line, but comes with a number of items that are bespoke to the off-road estate.

Highlights include 18-inch ‘Kalamata’ alloy wheels, a full size alloy spare wheel, off-road suspension, increased ground clearance, Alltrack styling pack, chrome radiator grille, matt-chrome effect and anthracite side sills, extra underbody protection, trapezoid exhaust pipes, Alltrack badges and wheelarch protection.

On the inside, the Alltrack features ambient lighting, ‘Tracks’ decorative inserts on the dashboard and door panels, and seats finished in ‘Summit’ upholstery. You also get 4Motion four-wheel-drive and hill descent control.

This is in addition to the equipment that is standard on the R-Line model, such as three-zone climate control, an electric tailgate, keyless entry and start, a leather-trimmed steering wheel and heated windscreen washer jets.