Volkswagen Tests Waters with Passat All-Trak in US

Volkswagen is testing America's reaction to the Passat Alltrak by bringing a concept for the car to the New York Motor Show. Granted, it is not so much a concept, as it is the car that is already on sale in Europe. 

The Passat Alltrak is an off-road ready version of the Passat wagon that competes with cars like the Subaru Outback and Audi Allroad. The version being shown at New York is powered by the 2.0l TDI diesel with 140hp and 236lb-ft of torque with a six-speed DSG transmission and all-wheel drive. 

To strengthen the model's off-road pedigree, Volkswagen has fitted body panel guards along the edges of the vehicle and a protective plate beneath it to protect the engine and another plate beneath the rear. The ride height is raised 1.2in over a standard Passat Wagon.

The Passat Alltrak comes with an off-road program that modifies the safety systems to make the car better on slippery terrain. This system limits the car's top speed to 18mph, lowers the threshold for the ABS and modifies the engine's torque curve. Hill Descent Control is activated automatically on grades 10% and above.

Volkswagen says there are no plans to bring the Passat Alltrak to the US right now, but it did bring it to the show to gauge interest. Vehicles like this do have a niche in the US. The Subaru Outback is a good seller, and a car that looks like a wagon but can take on slippery terrain better appeals to some buyers.