Volkswagen Golf Alltrack AWD 2015 review

Germans have no Outback but they know how to make one.

As with Subaru's well-known model named for Australia's empty centre, Volkswagen's new Golf Alltrack is an all-wheel-drive wagon with extra ground clearance and look-tough plastic around its wheel arches.

Scheduled to launch in Australia in October, the German-made Alltrack's price will be about $37,500, close to the least expensive Subaru Outback.

But where the Outback has engine and transmission options, the Golf Alltrack will come to Australia only with a 1.8-litre four-cylinder turbo engine and six-speed double-clutch automatic. VW Australia plans option packages to enhance the safety and comfort of the base vehicle.

The current Golf, the seventh in a model line stretching back to the 1970s, is the best mass-market car of its kind ever made. Roomy, quiet, comfortable, practical, efficient and well made, the Golf Mk7 has put plenty of silverware in the company's trophy room since launching in Europe in 2012.

Since arriving in Australia in 2013, the hatch has contributed strongly to the brand's growing road presence here. The wagon sibling, with its rear-end stretched more than 30cm to create a whopper of a cargo compartment and even more rear headroom, arrived in January last year.

Think of the Alltrack as a Golf wagon that's ready to play rough and you've got the picture. Its suspension is higher, increasing ground clearance by 20mm, and there's protection for the engine's vulnerable sump.

It's no heavy-duty 4WD but the Alltrack is clearly capable of going places a normal Golf can't

VW's on-demand 4motion all-wheel-drive is specially tuned for duty in the Alltrack. The driver can select Offroad mode to find traction on rough and slippery tracks and keep control on steep descents. It's no heavy-duty 4WD but the Alltrack is clearly capable of going places a normal Golf can't.

It's also a pleasure to drive on the road - the raised suspension is comfortable, yet it can handle the curves, too. It's more car-like than most similarly priced SUVs.

There were no Alltracks with the Australian-market 1.8-litre engine at the international launch in southern Spain. Other VW Group brands, including Audi and Skoda, use it and CarsGuide can confirm it's strong and smooth.

We drove a 2.0-litre turbo diesel with a similar power output to the 1.8-litre turbo petrol, and it delivered strong acceleration without fuss.