Volkswagen Passat Alltrack 2016 car review

Sleek lines and chrome trim lead your eyes over the bodywork and point towards the LED rear lights which are illuminated in sharp defined angles. There’s Alltrack lettering on the radiator grille and front side sections, and you’ll immediately notice the fog lights in the bumpers and silver roof rails. The wing mirrors are covered in matte chrome, while the bumpers and underbody protection has a stainless steel look. The trapezoid trim panels complete the sporty design of the Alltrack.

You can’t complain about the space with this wagon. The rear seats can split 3 ways to accommodate multiple load and passenger combinations. They’re all dressed in easy care leather and the front seats are even heated, which is great in the winter months. The rear passengers don’t have the luxury of heated seats, but have they do have their very own heater controls instead. Our test vehicle was upgraded with the $3,000, 14-way, adjustable Ergo Comfort seat. At first glance, the amount of function controls on the dash and steering was a bit overwhelming, but it didn’t take long to master them. The infotainment screen was a little small and this combined with the A/C controls and analogue clock, made the dash look rather dated. One very small detail that I did like was the rotation of the odometer. This replicated an old school manual display while the distance continued to tick over. The instrument cluster is brilliant in displaying everything you need to know and you can choose what you would like to display.

The 140kW, TDI, diesel engine combines tremendous power and torque. The 6-speed dual clutch gearbox (DSG) transmission provides seamless gear changes and this combined with the engine provides a very enjoyable drive. This vehicle uses AdBlue diesel exhaust fluid to help keep emissions low, caring for our environment. The instrument cluster displays lists of information, like how many kms you can travel on, AdBlue fluid levels, and much more. The system hold 18ltrs of exhaust fluid and pretty much governs itself. Under normal driving conditions, it may only need topping up at every service, making maintenance easy.

On top of the already impressive list of safety and assist features, our test wagon was also kitted out with the driver assistance package. I’d highly recommend this to anyone as it consisted of forward collision warning assists, lane change assists and adaptive cruise control, plus much more.

If you’re up for exploring the New Zealand countryside and beyond, the Passat Alltrack can take you there with ease, no matter how difficult the conditions or terrain gets. This is all made possible through the 4MOTION all-wheel drive, hill descent control and increased ground clearance. The 4MOTION drivetrain prevents wheel-spin on wet roads and this combined with the electronic stability program means that you’re even safer when on the move.