VW SportWagen gets itself in 4Motion
WHEELS PREVIEW – 2017 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF ALLTRACK
SEATTLE, WA: VW, what took you so long?
With North American drivers, Canadians in particular, moving in droves toward all-wheel-drive, Volkswagen has had its proven 4Motion system available for quite some time.
Back in March of 2015 I drove that new Sportwagen and commented it “fills the niche for those wanting CUV like space, but not at CUV prices”.
It replaced the outgoing Golf wagon and is slightly bigger, yet a full 137 lb lighter.
Dimensionally, it is 1.1 inches longer at 179.6 inches, and 0.7 inches wider at 70.8 inches.
Being 0.9 inches lower with a 2.2-inch longer wheelbase, styling is more aggressive thanks to the “cab backward” look as a result of the use of VW’s new flexible Modular Transverse Matrix (MQB) architecture.
While many North American buyers are rushing to buy compact and intermediate CUVs, this is still a very large market for a station wagon.
It offers similar cargo space as a CUV, but outwardly is takes up less space in a garage or, more to point, a single car driveway or underground condo parking space.
However one thing on the Golf wagon was missing and that was 4Motion, but that has been rectified with the 2017 model, with four versions of the Golf SportWagen (now spelled with a capital “W”), the Comfort, Trendline, Highline and now the Alltrack.
With the first three models you can now add 4Motion. With the Alltrack model it is standard, but it sits 15 mm higher and is recognized externally by model-specific 18-inch alloy wheels, a reshaped front bumper and underbody protection guard.
Power comes from a 1.8-litre turbo, direct injection inline four-cylinder with 170 and 184 lb/ft of torque. With 4Motion comes a six-speed dual clutch automatic transmission and centre differential.
The latest version of 4Motion is able to activate before wheel spin starts, and virtually quells traction loss as a control unit monitors when and how much torque needs to go to the rear.
In normal operation, the SportWagen is driven by the front wheels and rears are decoupled, which has the bonus of saving fuel.
When traction is needed at the rear, 4Motion starts in a fraction of second through the differential that can send a maximum of 50 per cent torque to the rear.
Besides the main differential, the SportWagen benefits from electronic differential locks (EDL) that are a function of the electronic stability control system.
Simply puts, EDL can brake a wheel that is slipping and send power to the opposite wheel.
As part of the press introduction in Seattle, VW found a quite rugged logging trail with exposed rocks protruding from the clear-cut surroundings.
There is an off-road mode that is selected by a button on the centre console. Cycle to it, engage and you’re on your way.
We were on normal street tires, not big-lugged off-road boots, yet it was not an issue in this vehicle, as we covered the track with no problems including steep declines with the downhill descent control working overtime. Try as I might, I still just can’t take my foot off the brake and trust the system to get me down safely, which is a great way to talk about the safety features of the new SportWagen.
Standard on all models is Automatic Post-Collision Braking, which recognizes a crash is rarely a single event, but a series such as being hit and then being propelled into another vehicle. As the airbags detect a collision, the system automatically applies the brakes to reduce residual kinetic energy.
Priced at $35,295 Alltrack offers the optional ($1,310) Driver Assistance Package that includes Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking (Front Assist), front and rear Park Distance Control, Lane Assist and Park Assist, which aids in both parallel and perpendicular parking.
Worth considering is the available ($1,610) Light and Sound Package with Adaptive Frontlighting System (AFS) and Light Assist high beam control, LED daytime running lamps and a 400 watt, Fender premium sound system.
As noted at the top, the Alltrack can just fit about anywhere a CUV can, but with a lower silhouette — yet with a competitive 30.4 cu ft of cargo space behind the second row seat that grows to 66.5 cu ft with the seat folded.
Washington State has some of the best roads in world and my co-driver and I remarked how pleasant it was to just enjoy the drive. As I found out in Europe recently, European drivers prefer wagons to sporty utes, which makes all kinds of sense to me.
If you’re thinking about a CUV or SUV, VW makes them too. But if you’re in a VW showroom, try the Alltrack or SportWagon on for size and you might be surprised.