The 2017 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen Alltrack made its debut today at the 2015 New York Auto Show, a few months after it was first reported that VW was planning to launch an all-wheel drive version of the Golf SportWagen for the U.S. market.
Looking at the new station wagon’s design, the SportWagen Alltrack for the 2017 model year is about an inch taller than the regular model, and boasts of redesigned front and rear fascias and side skirts, and a more aggressive, tougher appearance than the standard Golf SportWagen. This model was also debuted for the European market at the 2014 Paris Auto Show, so this isn’t the first time Volkswagen is unveiling it at a major auto show.
The presence of Volkswagen’s 4Motion all-wheel drive tech allows drivers to save at the pump, as only the front wheels are used during normal driving. And once the front tires slip, a maximum of 50 percent of the engine’s power is then redirected to the rear wheels. Stability control also helps out here, putting on the brakes to any wheel or tire that’s slipping so that power could be sent to the other wheels.
The 2017 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen Alltrack will be selling in the same space as the Subaru Impreza, XV Crosstrek, and Outback, competing in a market that has only a handful of all-wheel drive station wagons at their price point. Pricing has not yet been announced, but since this is an all-wheel drive wagon, it should be a tad more expensive than the standard Volkswagen Golf SportWagen.