Volkswagen Passat Alltrack - Practical Caravan

Towing

Four-wheel drive, a healthy kerbweight, and a torquey diesel engine is a promising combination. And in most respects the Alltrack delivers on that promise.

With a kerbweight of 1725kg the Altrack is considerably heavier than the two-wheel-drive version of the regular estate, which helps to make the VW a sound match for a wide variety of tourers: the 85% match figure is 1466kg. We matched the car to a Coachman 575 VIP with a MiRO of 1474kg, and set out on the road.

First impressions were really very good. The DSG auto changed gear smoothly, and made the most of the engine’s considerable 295lb ft of pulling power. There was also no sign of wheelspin on damp Tarmac, thanks to the power being spread among all four wheels.

Starting off on a 1-in-10 slope was no trouble at all. The electronic parking brake held car and caravan still, and when we applied the throttle, the Passat pulled forward without fuss or strain.

Moving on to the motorway, we upped our speed to 60mph. The VW easily held this speed uphill and into headwinds.

Most of the time the Alltrak felt secure and stable. We’d expect no less of a Passat, which has long been one of our favourite tow cars. However, there were some side-to-side movements when overtaking HGVs. They were pronounced enough for us to feel the caravan gently tugging at the back of the car, but quickly passed with little or no intervention from the driver.

Our test car was fitted with Dynamic Chassis Control, an £895 option. This gives drivers a choice of ‘normal’, ‘sport’, or ‘comfort’ settings for the suspension.

As a rule with such systems, we usually find the ‘normal’ setting best for towing. However, with the Alltrack, ‘sport’ did seem to keep the caravan on a shorter leash, with fewer movements in crosswinds or when overtaking a lorry.

When we arrived at our destination, manoeuvring was easy. Trailer Assist, which takes care of steering when reversing onto a pitch, is a £500 option. However, the driver does need to decide when to initiate the turn, so there’s still some skill and experience required to guide the caravan smoothly onto the pitch.

We’re surprised that a reversing camera is an optional extra, priced at £335. You’d think that this would be standard on a car packed with so many high-tech systems, and costing almost £40,000. It’s certainly an option we’d choose, given how useful it is when hitching up to a caravan.

The towbar and electrics (£930) drop down at the touch of a button. The socket is on the side of the towbar, well clear of the bumper.