If you’ve been out shopping for an SUV or crossover lately, then you know there are literally scores and scores of choices available. Just about every auto brand, from Mitsubishi to Rolls-Royce, offers one. But if you are thinking instead about a wagon that can offer the driving dynamics of a sedan, but with the roominess and cargo utility associated with an SUV, the selection shrinks to just a handful.
The latest addition to the off-road-ready wagon segment is the 2017 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack. It offers all of the same MQB platform goodness that’s found in the Generation 7 VW Golf sedan and SportWagen, plus 0.6-inch raised ride height, taller-section tires, an off-road driving mode and standard 4Motion all-wheel drive.
Subaru has dominated the AWD wagon segment for many years with its midsize Outback and the increasingly popular compact Crosstrek. Bumper to bumper, the new VW Alltrack slots in between the two Subarus, being 5 inches lengthier than the Crosstrek but 9 inches more abbreviated than the Outback.
Volkswagen offers the Alltrack in a choice of base S ($25,850), midlevel SE ($29,430) and range-topping SEL ($32,890) trim.