Volkswagen Passat Alltrack test drive since 2012

Square station wagon: a all -resistant Volkswagen Passat Alltrack

There is such a segment of cars of high cross -country universals. The most universal of all station wagons. But representatives of this class are still few, often it is difficult to distinguish them on the street from ordinary wagons, and the advantages of such a machine are far from obvious. Volkswagen decided to perform in this niche with his new all -resistant Passat Alltrack, which we tested in Europe.


The recipe for such a car lies on the surface: a standard shed in all -wheel drive and good configuration is taken, the body is complemented by plastic armor along the lower perimeter, and a sonorous prefix is \u200b\u200battached to the familiar name. That is how Skoda Octavia Scout, A6 Allroad, Subaru Legacy Outback were created (in the last generation this machine still retained the LEGACY name). The new Passat Alltrack was no exception.


Do not think that Passat Alltrack is designed for those who have not yet collected on Tiguan the latter in a rich configuration will still be cheaper than the base Alltrack!

But for starters, let's figure out who are generally addressed to such universals in the square.

First of all, people who are few cars, but for some reason do not want to look like the owner of a jeep. After all, the machines that we called with this shabby word are forced to forget about the passenger landing, passenger control and the passage. But high and rolled all -wheel drives are a worthy alternative to the same station wagon of increased cross -country ability. Passat’s buyers performed by Alltrack will be those who have already outgrown his Czech counterpart called Skoda Octavia Scout, but are not yet ready to buy expensive Audi A6 Allroad. It turns out that the Volkswagenists got a certain middle. Is it gold?


New wheels in size 17 (Valley) or 18 inches (Canyon, photo) are designed specifically for the modification of Alltrack

Outwardly, everything is in the spirit of the main model: as a strict Passat does not stand out in the general road stream, so Alltrack is not a white sheep among other passats. The most striking confirmation of the Autobana of Germany. Passat station wagon on them is equally frequent guest as a beer mug on the burgher's table. Therefore, sitting behind the wheel of a new Alltrack, I expected interested views from Passat drivers still an unusual modification! But no, no reaction. And indeed: from the new outside, only other bumpers with silver overlays and covers in front and behind, overlays on the thresholds of silver and gray plastic and wheeled arches expanded due to the same unpainted plastic.


From the invisible, but important, engine protection, gearboxes, elements of the exhaust system and various tubes and hoses on the bottom made of sheet steel. Therefore, if the track suddenly turns out to be too deep, and the foam missed under the bottom suddenly grows up, the consequences will be less sad than on an ordinary Passat

In addition to the image-aesthetic component, such a modest body kit has such a modest body load, an incorrectly calculated steepness will not turn the bottom of the bumper into rags. The enlarged clearance from the lower point of the body to the ground is now not 135 mm, like that of an ordinary passat, but 165. Anyway, for example, for example, only 5 mm below sits a new Kia Rio, not even closely suspecting that it remained before the high -grown. a few millimeters. In the interior of the changes, it turned out to be much smaller than outside: these are just overlays on the thresholds, aluminum pedals, slightly different decoration materials, and a couple of ALLTRACK nameplate.

A European who wants to buy a novelty will have to seriously break his head: what to choose: diesel or gasoline? More powerful or more poest? On a handle or with a fashionable DSG robot? In the end, you can abandon all -wheel drive and only pretend to be the owner of the SUV. It will be much easier for our customers only a 2.0 TSI turbo engine with a capacity of 210 hp, a 6-speed robotic gearbox DSG and a company full-wheel drive 4Motion. A preliminary starting price that does not provide for numerous options, 1,491,000 rubles.


Like the usual Passat, Alltrack can be literally stuffed with electronic security and assistance systems. This is a system for changing the strip (the sensors determine the passing car in the dead zone and light the corresponding indicator on the side mirror), the tracking system for the tiredness of the driver, the assistant movement in the strip (or the steering for lazy drivers in gentle turns Passat Alltrack hers in accordance with Marking), who knows how to slow down active cruise control, recognition of road signs, automatic highlights, a parking worker that does not require the driver's intervention. Here are only the vast majority of these high-tech news in Russia will not be available

The sensations from driving on asphalt tracks are completely cars. Additional centimeters under the bottom adding lifting force in practice do not cause any discomfort at speeds up to 200 km/h. And how often ALLTRACK will fly so quickly? In addition, a worthy sound insulation Passat allows you not to hear the noise from wider arches and roof rails. Of the minuses, only a small vertical swing was noticed on small irregularities and an electrical improviser living with its life, for some reason a stirring steering wheel at small angles of deviation from the zero mark.


ALLTRACK gasoline 210-horsepower (as well as a 170-horsepower) can drag a trailer weighing up to 2200 kg in a hill with a slope of up to 8%. And if you get rid of the cart, you can shoot from a place up to 100 km/h for quite cars of 8.7 seconds

The gasoline engine 2.0 TSI with a capacity of 210 horsepower is non -alternative for Russian customers. This motor is well known for many models of the Volkswagen concern: nimble, economical, friendly during tuning. But, swinging on a diesel version (170 horsepower, DSG gearbox), I found my perfect Alltrack excellent craving in combination with a completely intelligent sound with a minimum of tractor notes. Yes, and by the nature of the all -resistant Passat, the diesel engine is closer: such an unit is more convenient with extra -spaling sorties and more economically on the highway. It is a pity that it will not be available in Russia (the usual Passat Variant with such a filling is sold with us, albeit for considerable 1,535,000 rubles).


The enlarged road clearance provided Passat Alltrack with new characteristics of geometric cross -country ability. So, the angle of entry increased from 13.5 to 16 degrees, the angle of the congress changed from 11.9 to 13.6 degrees, and the angle of the ramp (it is also called the roller roller) from 9.5 to 12.8 degrees

Well, what about cross -country ability? Germany is not the best place for testing an all -around. There is simply nowhere to do this with an appropriate scope: all the lands belong to someone and are well guarded, and the locals are ready to tap where even for lawlessness in the form of speed in the village by 10 km/h or in two wheels on the edge of the field. Even the German instructor with hope in his eyes asked me: is it true that you can ride in Russia almost everywhere? For OFROUD tests, Volkswagenovites built a special off-road park on the territory of the Austrian ski resort Elmau. SUV in quotation marks, because many residents of Russia observe a similar park every spring in their yard.


Of course, the Alltrack SUV is very conditional. If necessary, he will help out, but nothing more. The main thing is that on it you do not need to fearfully sneak along the bad road of the body geometry and the suspension allow you to go, imagining yourself at the wheel of the Dakarov Race Touareg

Here's what in the end I managed to try there: riding a snowy oval with deep puddles, the same exercise, only with a trailer for transporting horses, downhill along a serpentine with an activated descent system and a number of free exercises for geometry. The dressed oval was no more extreme than the spring exit somewhere outside the Moscow Ring Road, but the puddles were deep and with sharp icy edges. Therefore, the suspension was not easy. Moreover, the instructor, full of pride in the meek chassis, encouraged: faster, even faster. Well, I must admit that for our roads, a soundless and omnivorous ALLTRACK suspension is perfect.


The 4Motion all -wheel drive system is based on the Haldex of the latter, fourth generation (as on Hatche Golf R, for example). This means that by default there are 10% traction on the rear axle, and electronics are in charge by the distribution of torque. She evaluates the speed of rotation of the wheels, the angle of rotation of the steering wheel, the degree of pressing the gas pedal and other indicators and gives the command to the electric pump, which leads the piston of a multi -disc coupery in the rear gearbox, the stronger the clutches are closed, the more the moment on the rear axle. In some situations, up to 100% traction can be transmitted to it

The then followed rides on the same oval with an equestrian trailer on the tail (weighing about 600 kg, by the way) allowed us to evaluate the operation of the stabilization system with an additional program for calming the trailer. The ESP system recognizes the starting buildup of the cart and eliminates it, controlling the brakes and the supply of fuel. Well done programmers! In fact, the sensation arises a slightly surrealistic to understand that you are going with a huge cart, you need to look in the rearview mirror, since the trailer does not affect the behavior of the car.

Another interesting electronic program Offroad mode, as in adult SUVs. It is activated by the button on the central console and provides for a later operation of the ABS system (this allows you to rake loose soil in front of itself with blocked wheels and brake effectively), the earlier operation of the electronic imitation of the lock (so the wheels are less skid), and the lower sensitivity of the gas pedal (therefore it is more convenient to dose jewelry Traction) and late switching the DSG robot. In addition, if the car recognizes the descent by a slope of more than 10 degrees at a speed of up to 30 km/h, then the assistant will turn on the driver only to steer, and the system itself will choose the optimal descent speed and when you need to slow down.

Has the new Volkswagen station wagon in the square of the golden middle, which we talked about at the beginning became? Yes and no. Volkswagen positions itself as the most premium of the available brands, therefore, taking into account the quality of finishing materials and the number of proposed advanced options Passat Alltrack, it looks a good offer in a close company of all -terrain cars. There is only one small problem. For 1,622,300 rubles, you can buy a similar in size and concept Audi A4 Allroad, I specially did not mention this model at the beginning of the article. With the same engine and more advanced Quattro -all -in -wheel drive, which is based on an honest Torsen intericseum differential, large road clearance and most importantly with premium rings. Passat Alltrack saves the fact that the Audi presented in 2009 is rapidly obsolete (the light last year's facelift does not count), while the new Passat is now at the peak of its freshness.



Competitors
Subaru outback
Subaru Outback (in previous generations, the model was called Legacy Outback) one of the pioneers of the universal class of increased cross -country ability. In terms of dimensions, the current model is almost identical to the hero of the dough: Subaru is only 4 mm longer, has the same width, but significantly higher, 92 mm. But the size of the road clearance in Outback is off -road 213 mm! At the same time, for the amount of about 1.5 million rubles (last cars of the production are slightly cheaper, and the current one is a little more expensive), you can only purchase a version with a 2.5 -liter engine with a capacity of 167 forces against 210 with the Passat. Subaru transmission variator Lineartronis in combination with a full -wheel drive system like a 4Motion from Volkswagen.

Audi A4 Allroad Quattro
Audi loses 50 mm along the length, but they are all concentrated in a shorter trunk, while the A4 wheelbase is even 95 mm longer! Audi also has more than 180 mm clearance. The basic price of an all-wheel drive machine with a 211-horsepower TFSI two-liter engine is 1,622,300 rubles. True, such a car will be on the mechanics, and the Robot S Tronic will cost an additional 70 thousand. Taking into account the small number of players in the classroom and the difference in the status of the Volkswagen and Audi stamps A4 A4 Allroad QUATTRO is quite suitable for rivals to the new Passat Alltrack.

Volvo XC70
The Swedish station wagon is 67 mm longer than Passat Alltrack. Superior in size continues and if you measure the road clearance of 209 mm. For 1,507,000 rubles, you can purchase an all-wheel drive machine with a 163-horsepower turbodiesel and a 6-speed automatic gearbox. A more powerful 215-horsepower diesel and especially a 6-cylinder gasoline engine about 243 forces are much more expensive.

Dmitry Laskov
Photo by the author and Audi
 

Source: Auto.mail.ru