by Chris Jefferies
When it comes to picking an ideal towcar, many caravanners opt for the spacious practicality of a family saloon, while others plump for the rugged towing ability of a 4×4. But what if you could have both in one car?
Well the boffins at Volkswagen think they have cracked this conundrum with the VW Passat Alltrack, which is due to be unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in Japan next week.
As these exclusive images show, the changes made to the exterior are subtle, with only a few tweaks to the front and rear bumpers.
Instead it’s under the bonnet where Volkswagen has really gone to town, as the Off-Road Driving Programme from the VW Touareg has been imported; something that the German carmakers think will help improve this saloon’s towing ability.
This system manages the electronic differential, ABS, torque control, hill descent and gearbox shift points to make for easier manoeuvring off road – perfect for accessing those more obscure caravan sites.
What’s more, the ride height has been raised from 135 to 165mm, which will help to significantly improve the ramp breakaway angle from 9.5 degrees to 12.8 degrees.
Engine options are restricted to a 2.0-litre TDI engine with a choice of 142bhp or 172bhp variants, while prices are expected to be in the region of £26,000.
This is almost £1,000 cheaper than the equivalent Volvo XC70 and nearly three grand less than an Audi A4 Allroad.
For your money you get plenty of fancy features as standard, including climate control air conditioning, cruise control, Bluetooth and Sat Nav.
If this ticks all your boxes, then you can expect to be able to place an order at your local Volkswagen dealership from April next year.
The Volkswagen Passat Estate has been nominated for the CaravanTimes Top Towcar of 2011 Award. To vote for your favourite tourer, caravan park and dealer, and be entered into our prize draw to win an Amazon Kindle, click here.
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