Volkswagen brings Passat Alltrack "concept" from overseas

A Passat used to be a Passat, and that was that. But these days, things have gotten more complicated. Like Honda does with the Accord, the Passat that Volkswagen builds and offers in the United States is an entirely different vehicle from the one it offers overseas. And while we used to have a Passat wagon at our disposal in American showrooms, that one stayed on the opposite shore when the model was split.

And then there's the Alltrack. Taking a similar approach to what Volvo took to make its V70 into the XC70, what Subaru does to its Legacy to turn it into an Outback and what (perhaps most pertinently) sister-brand Audi does to its A6 to make it the Allroad, the Volkswagen Passat Alltrack production model was unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show back in November with a higher suspension and some rugged-looking lower body cladding.

Although the Alltrack – or for that matter, the Passat wagon altogether – is not currently available in the United States, Volkswagen has brought the overseas model to the New York Auto Show (as a "concept", mind you) in an effort to gauge reaction. If it drums up enough support – and over 80 percent of you have supported in our informal poll so far – VW could opt to offer it to American customers as a more cost-effective alternative to the Audi Allroad range. The showcar seen here is fitted with a TDI diesel engine, but presumably if it came to the States, it would be offered with a gasoline engine as its main powerplant. Take a closer look in our gallery of high-resolution live images from the show floor and the official release below and decide for yourself.

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