REFINED WAGON HAS PLENTY TO OFFER
Sick of sport utes and crossovers? Volkswagen’s Golf Alltrack is the right kind of medicine, writes
Before the minivan, before the SUV, before the crossover, the station wagon ruled as the go-to vehicle for domestic hauling. For better or worse, family road trips in the “wagon” were a rite of passage for both kids and parents. A rather colourful chapter of my youth involved a summer odyssey from Nova Scotia to Vancouver and back in a 1962 Mercury Comet wagon, wherein my parents thought it would be a good idea to camp the whole way. Bless them.
Being only five years old at the time, my hazy memories include fighting with my sister in the back seat, barfing in the ditch, Dad holding the tent pole all night in a valiant attempt to keep us from being blown away during a biblical lightning storm, and Mom driving him to the hospital in Vancouver after he suffered a nervous breakdown. Oh, and seeing a real cowboy.
So, what does this have to do with the super-slick 2018 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack? Not much. You won’t see hordes of these Vee-Dubs traversing the continent — leave that to the threerow crossovers — but for those who appreciate the attributes of a tidy Euro wagon, this slightly jacked-up, all-wheel-drive Golf with the de-rigeur plastic body cladding hits the mark.
Dimensionally, the Alltrack nestles right in between the Subaru Outback and Crosstrek, both of which could be considered the VW’s closest competitors, although the Alltrack exists on a higher plane when it comes to refinement, standard kit and interior quality. This is reflected in its price; the Alltrack is $34,345 with six-speed manual, while the Outback and Crosstrek start at $29,295 and $23,695, respectively.
The VW Golf Alltrack comes in only one, well-equipped trim that includes 18-inch alloy wheels, leather seating and heated front seats, a Fender audio system, a rear-view camera, a panoramic sunroof and interior ambient lighting, plus an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system with a proximity sensor, GPS navigation, satellite radio and USB, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity — and much more. Add $1,400 for the six-speed dualclutch automatic transmission with paddle shifters.
There are two option packages available, both of which this Blue Silk Metallic tester had: the $795 Light Package, adding adaptive LED headlights with cornering lights, and the Driver Assistant Package that adds adaptive cruise, forward-collision mitigation, automatic high beams, lane and park assists, and pedestrian detection. What you can’t get on the Alltrack are a blind-spot monitor and a heated steering wheel. Tsk tsk.
Ah, but this little wagon with the premium disposition is a joy to drive. Under the hood is VW’s ubiquitous 1.8-litre turbo-four that churns out a smooth and mostly lag-free 170 horsepower and 199 pound-feet of torque from a usable 1,600 r.p.m. It works happily in concert with the dual-clutch automatic, and while the optioned-out Alltrack with 4Motion all-wheel drive weighs about 188 kilograms more than a front-drive Golf SportWagen, it’s still quite fleet and displays the classic VW dynamic cocktail we love: excellent body control, sharp steering and eager handling. Ride quality is firm, but never uncomfortable.
Its elevated ride height — up 3.5 centimetres — hasn’t adversely affected handling too much. Yeah, it’s a bit tippy, but still very happy to get up on its toes and eat up a winding back road. Put it in Sport mode and the steering firms up, throttle response sharpens and the transmission gets a more aggressive program. Response to shift-paddle inputs is immediate, too.
The Golf Alltrack borrows its 4Motion all-wheel-drive system from the Golf R, here running in a default 90 front/10 rear torque split, with the ability to send 50 per cent to the rear wheels. There’s a brake-based torquevectoring system for both front and rear axles that helps with cornering, and will also laterally “lock” in Off-Road mode.
The Alltrack has a beautifully tailored interior, here in optional Shetland Beige that lends brightness and an extra degree of sophistication. No complaints with VW’s fresh Discover Media infotainment system; it’s relatively easy to negotiate and features clear graphics. The 400watt Fender audio system, with eight speakers plus a subwoofer, gets a thumbs up, too.
When it comes to utility, the Alltrack is an impressive little hauler. Load space behind the rear seats is a generous and wellproportioned 861 L, opening to cavernous 1,883 L with the 60/40-split rear bench folded. There’s also a ski pass-through and some extra space under the floor above the space-saver spare. I put the VW to work, helping my daughter move furniture and boxes into her new apartment. And transporting a hairy dog to the park, too.
If the Golf Alltrack’s bottom line and quasi-premium position is a tad rich for some budgets, the same utility and mechanical goodness (without the frills and elevated ride height) can be found in the Golf SportWagen 4Motion that starts at $25,695 for the entry Trendline with six-speed manual transmission. As an alternative to the default compact crossover, Volkswagen is certainly offering plenty of ways to get into this intriguing little wagon. Road trip!