Passat Alltrack availability in Australia?

[Guest001]

Just to make you all jealous NZ has had them for a while I was over there last month and looked at them in Christchurch.

Personally I wouldnt buy one for a tow car for two reasons.

1 I would never tow anything that weighed more than the tow vehicle

2 The allowable ball weight which cuts out most Aussie designed vans or heavy trailers

European vans are designed differently and have much lower ball weights than Aussie vans.

I realise you want to tow a horse float but same applies

They are still just a Passat with wider mudguard rolls and the extras. Hardly look higher than mine so wouldnt class it as an offroad vehicle in any way as far as body is concerned.

Recently I took mine over a large badly angled driveway and it creaked and now have a rattle in the dashboard.

Would hate to take it to Birdsville ROFL

[Marakai]

Well, I'd have to partially agree: anybody getting this with the idea of doing seriously off-roading without having to shell out for a full-bore SUV is deluding themselves.

However, with the atrocious decay of roads here in Victoria thanks to years of govt inaction (both Lib and Lab), the vehicle should be coming into its own as "basic unsealed surface and bad quality sealed surface" vehicle.

I'm aware of the ball weight, though not an issue in this case, as I'm also looking at a German trailer who are far more balanced than the towable-tanks you get made here (as you mentioned). Even so, I've decided a while ago that for serious towing I'll just buy an old used Landcruiser for just that purpose (i.e. towing 2 big horses). For single horse trailing (that midnight emergency trip to the vet with a colicking horse) I have no concerns about weight (that Alltrack is a massive bugger).

Just to make you all jealous NZ has had them for a while I was over there last month and looked at them in Christchurch.

Personally I wouldnt buy one for a tow car for two reasons.

1 I would never tow anything that weighed more than the tow vehicle

2 The allowable ball weight which cuts out most Aussie designed vans or heavy trailers

European vans are designed differently and have much lower ball weights than Aussie vans.

I realise you want to tow a horse float but same applies

They are still just a Passat with wider mudguard rolls and the extras. Hardly look higher than mine so wouldnt class it as an offroad vehicle in any way as far as body is concerned.

Recently I took mine over a large badly angled driveway and it creaked and now have a rattle in the dashboard.

Would hate to take it to Birdsville ROFL

[drad81]

I don't plan on towing anything more than a tonne or taking it off road. My thinking is more that with our first baby on the way, the higher clearance would make it easier to load/unload the kid from the back seat without having to bend to much.

For those of you who have had kids, am I wasting my money on the Alltrack? will the standard Wagon suffice?

[brad]

We had "normal" vehicles like U13 Bluebird, Commodore S, Camry Wagon plus taller stuff like Avensis Verso, Captiva, etc when the 2x kids were in capsules / babyseats.

If it's just 1 child it will be in the middle of the back seat, so you generally have to climb in & kneel on the seat anyway.

When we had the "normal" cars I didn't keep wishing for something taller. The main reason we went to small people movers / 7 seat SUVs was because we had a need to transport more people around occassionally.

NB: Our current family truckster is a Gen5 Outback wagon & I find the high seats a bit of a pain. It would be nice if it squatted down about 100mm when it was stationary (or belting along the motorway).

[Guest001]

I don't plan on towing anything more than a tonne or taking it off road. My thinking is more that with our first baby on the way, the higher clearance would make it easier to load/unload the kid from the back seat without having to bend to much.

For those of you who have had kids, am I wasting my money on the Alltrack? will the standard Wagon suffice?

There is only about 30mm extra in the height

Hardly noticeable I would think

[Inego]

NB: Our current family truckster is a Gen5 Outback wagon & I find the high seats a bit of a pain. It would be nice if it squatted down about 100mm when it was stationary (or belting along the motorway).

Over the Gen4 they took ground clearance up by 30mm and also raised the roof height, which gave it a similar road presence to a CX-7.

And, to me, was also pretty stupid, and turned me towards a vehicle which stayed true to the "wagon with more ground clearance" ethos, rather than the "not quite an SUV" one....

[brad]

Over the Gen4 they took ground clearance up by 30mm and also raised the roof height, which gave it a similar road presence to a CX-7.

And, to me, was also pretty stupid, and turned me towards a vehicle which stayed true to the "wagon with more ground clearance" ethos, rather than the "not quite an SUV" one....

I'll take your word for it.
The Gen5, which I think is the ugliest mofo of a car to grace our roads, is the wifes company supplied drive. She inherited it off her predessor & had no choice in the purchase.

Having said all that, when you are sitting in it, you don't have to look at it & it's a pretty good drive on dirt roads with family on board & bikes hanging off the back. The 2.5 delivers good usable power.

[Inego]

I'll take your word for it.

?

The CX-7 thing was something I noticed in a carpark, not something that has been promoted. But, as a Gen4 owner, it was hard to see who was asking for the extra clearance - surely they'd buy a proper SUV? They did increase the track so, supposedly, the centre of gravity is similar for Gen4 and 5.

Admittedly, headroom wasn't the Gen4's strong point, so was increased across the range.

For me, the 2.5 was OK (certainly better than the bloody awful gearshift to row it with), but my 2.0TDI is much better.

[FSI 220]

[EDIT]

I may sound like a moron but this all just went WHOOSH over my head! Probably because the novated leasing structure is new to me here in Australia (I'd only ever leased a car twice in my life before, once in Germany, once in the US).

Could you rephrase that in terms that I understand? ("Marakai go dealer! Marakai no hit on cute sales lady! Marakai get paper! Marakai go home, click button on funny computer thing!")

Basically you can simulate roughly what you are going to have to pay on the leaseplan system (which i assume you have access to)... Pick a Highline diesel and in "retail" (normal pricing) option it up to what the Alltrack is going to be... then in the leaseplan system, pick the Highline diesel and load in the same options, it will give you the rough discounts (in capital costs) and simulate the running costs (tyres and diesel will be similar) etc, you will get back the monthly pre and post tax contributions etc.

Once you have a "quote" go see a dealer and ask them to blind quote in the leaseplan format then you can see if they are hungrier than the default leaseplan quote (all the items will line up so you can compare). I have built a relationship with my fleet manager, as it is a multi dealer I can pick out of five brands (same fleet manager). Oh, and if you do see my fleet manager ... hands off... I need her around in a year or so, last thing I need is her on Maternity leave

And as for the 30mm, it will make all the difference if it is your only car...my V6 barely made it through to the farm [I]on two week old graded tracks[I] one "rains" and forget it. And fully loaded it was landing hard on the mudflaps and the spats (they were polishing up at the inner lip) at 100+ km an hour. The four motion traction was good, but the 30mm will allow you to go touring through national parks etc. As we have the big ol toyota for towing and touring we could get away with it...

If I am looking at the Passat in a year or two's time, it will likely be the Alltrack.

Good luck with it

[Marakai]

Basically you can simulate roughly what you are going to have to pay on the leaseplan system (which i assume you have access to)... Pick a Highline diesel and in "retail" (normal pricing) option it up to what the Alltrack is going to be... then in the leaseplan system, pick the Highline diesel and load in the same options, it will give you the rough discounts (in capital costs) and simulate the running costs (tyres and diesel will be similar) etc, you will get back the monthly pre and post tax contributions etc.

Gotcha - that's actually precisely what I had some months back to use as baseline with my accountant for her number crunching, comparing to flat payoff or financing.

Once you have a "quote" go see a dealer and ask them to blind quote in the leaseplan format then you can see if they are hungrier than the default leaseplan quote (all the items will line up so you can compare). I have built a relationship with my fleet manager, as it is a multi dealer I can pick out of five brands (same fleet manager).

Is this "game" worth it with any of the regular dealers? I would never expect to get a deal better than a novated lease, due to their fleet purchase power. And so far I've not dealt with any other fleet managing dealers. Does your "regular dealer have a fleet manager who works there, generally?

Oh, and if you do see my fleet manager ... hands off... I need her around in a year or so, last thing I need is her on Maternity leave

Hottie, eh? It's important to have good relationships with people you do business with, but probably not THAT good. The other half would likely disapprove.

And as for the 30mm, it will make all the difference if it is your only car...my V6 barely made it through to the farm [I]on two week old graded tracks[I] one "rains" and forget it. And fully loaded it was landing hard on the mudflaps and the spats (they were polishing up at the inner lip) at 100+ km an hour. The four motion traction was good, but the 30mm will allow you to go touring through national parks etc. As we have the big ol toyota for towing and touring we could get away with it...

Yep. I'll also harp on the declining quality of Australian (at least Victorian) *sealed* roads.

[brad]

Is this "game" worth it with any of the regular dealers? I would never expect to get a deal better than a novated lease, due to their fleet purchase power. And so far I've not dealt with any other fleet managing dealers. Does your "regular dealer have a fleet manager who works there, generally?

When I bought my Skoda, the price I negotiated with the dealer was $2500 less than the price quoted by the leasing company with their "buying power". I didn't even go through the fleet sales area of the dealership.

[Marakai]

When I bought my Skoda, the price I negotiated with the dealer was $2500 less than the price quoted by the leasing company with their "buying power". I didn't even go through the fleet sales area of the dealership.

Good to know. With the economy the dealers may be wanting to play ball. While I'm mostly useless in haggling, I send my wife who could stand here own in an Arabian bazaar. She is merciless.

[phaeton]

Good to know. With the economy the dealers may be wanting to play ball. While I'm mostly useless in haggling, I send my wife who could stand here own in an Arabian bazaar. She is merciless.

LOL

Good Luck Mike - let us know how you go

[Amalgam]

AND HERE IT IS

Alltrack expands Volkswagen's Passat range

Volkswagen has officially launched the new Passat Alltrack in Australia, priced at $47,790 plus on-road costs – just $2000 more than the standard front-wheel drive Passat 125TDI auto wagon.

Powered by a 125kW turbo-diesel engine developing 350Nm and consuming just 6.3L/100km in the combined-cycle test, the Alltrack is aimed at buyers in the market for a car such as the popular Subaru Outback.

Drive is distributed through a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission to all four wheels via a 4Motion system featuring an electronically controlled electric pump to regulate torque through the Haldex centre coupling to the rear wheels. Normally the system only delivers just 10 per cent of the available torque to the rear wheels, but that figure gradually climbs if the system detects slip at the front.

Volkswagen has specified the Alltrack with the Touareg's 'Offroad driving program', which automatically adjusts anti-lock braking, electronic differential locks and electronic traction control system to work within off-road parameters. The program also enables Hill Descent Assist and changes both transmission shift points and accelerator pedal characteristics to suit.

Although it’s not ultimately as capable off-road as the car company's larger Touareg SUV, the Alltrack does boast underbody protection for those occasions when the vehicle's 165mm of ground clearance is not enough. Approach and departure angles have correspondingly increased from 13.5 to 16 degrees and from 11.9 to 13.6 degrees, respectively.

The break-over angle has increased too, from 9.5 to 12.8 degrees, while payload is 656kg and braked towing capacity is 1800kg. Luggage capacity with the rear seat upright is 588 litres, expanding to 1716 litres with the seat folded. Otherwise the Alltrack shares most of its dimensions with the standard Passat wagon, although it is slightly longer at 4881mm.

Identifying features include standard 'Valley' 17-inch alloy wheels, with 18-inch 'Canyon' wheels available as an option. Chrome trim applies to roof-rails, window surrounds, door mirror cappings and radiator grille, with underbody protection front and rear is finished in stainless steel.

Safety in the Alltrack is managed with eight airbags, active head restraints, fatigue detection, reversing camera, tyre pressure indicator and automatic brake light hazard warning.

Comfort and convenience features in the single Alltrack variant now available here include climate-control, eight-speaker audio, Bluetooth connectivity with audio streaming, satellite-navigation, trip computer, electric driver's seat adjustment, electro-mechanical steering, electric windows, electronic parking brake with auto-hold, keyless entry, leather trim, electrochromatic mirror, auto-on headlights, rain-sensing wipers and front/rear parking sensors.

Options for the Alltrack comprise metallic paint ($700), the Park Assist 2 self-parking system ($900), three-mode Adaptive Chassis Control $1650, a sunroof ($2000), Adaptive Cruise Control with Front Assist and City Emergency Brake ($2000) and a $2800 Sport Package comprising 18-inch alloy wheels, Nappa leather, sports front seats and gearshift paddles.

There is also a Driver Assistance and Visibility Package, which for $3300 includes Lane Assist lane departure warning system, Side Assist blind spot detection, LED tail-lights, electrically adjustable front seats with three-position memory for the driver and bi-Xenon headlights with dynamic cornering lights.



Seems really well priced.

[Marakai]

Nothing on volkswagen.com.au yet, drat and double drat!