The raised, black-clad version of Volkswagen’s only U.S.-market station wagon goes on sale next month as the 2017 Golf Alltrack. The higher-ridin’ wagon starts under $27,000.
The Alltrack S?s base price is $26,670, although that?s for the model with the six-speed manual transmission, which won’t arrive until next year. The six-speed DSG automatic verison will start at $27,770 and includes heated leatherette seats with power recline, power windows, power mirrors, power locks, a backup camera, Bluetooth, an eight-speaker audio system, HD radio with SiriusXM, and a 6.5-inch color display that can support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. LED running lamps, faux-aluminum pedals, ambient lighting, stainless-steel door sills, and the Alltrack’s signature black fender trim, restyled bumpers, silver mirror caps, and 17-inch alloy wheels also come standard. Six months of Volkswagen Car-Net is included, which enables remote unlocking, stolen vehicle tracking, and other telematics services. A raised ride height, to 6.9 inches (up 0.6 inch versus the Golf SportWagen), and an off-road driving mode with hill-descent control add to the otherwise normal 4Motion all-wheel-drive system. The turbocharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine remains the same at 170 horsepower and 199 lb-ft of torque, although there’s a bigger fuel tank (14.5 gallons versus 13.2) to compensate for the Alltrack’s efficiency loss over the standard SportWagen. The automatic is EPA-rate...