Volkswagen Golf Estate Alltrack 2021 review

Despite their runaway popularity, not everyone is convinced of the need for an SUV. However, finding an estate car that combines a raised ride height, all-terrain ability and enough space for the family is becoming a harder task.

The Volkswagen Golf Estate Alltrack is one of few off-road-ready wagons still around, and demonstrates perfectly what this specialist genre can offer. It includes all the technology of the latest eighth-generation Golf, but adds an extra dose of ability. 

Volkswagen has raised the suspension by 15mm, given the Alltrack bespoke front and rear bumpers, and added an underbody skid plate. These allow for better approach and departure angles, with plastic trim around the wheelarches offering a degree of off-road protection. It might not be fit to tackle the Dakar Rally, but it will venture further into the dirt than a regular Golf Estate. 

Gotta go diesel

As a niche offering, Volkswagen only sells the Alltrack with a 2.0-litre diesel engine. Diesel may have fallen out of fashion, but this 197hp motor is a reminder how effective it can be in the right setting.

Combined with a standard seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox, its 295lb ft of torque provides effortless acceleration, allowing the Alltrack to make easy cross-country progress. 

Traction is never an issue, thanks to 4Motion permanent four-wheel drive. It adds a degree of confidence to how the Alltrack drives, and offers a dedicated Off-Road to hold the Alltrack in a lower gear and engage hill-descent control when needed.

Unlike some crossovers, the Alltrack is about more than just plastic cladding, and is happy to venture off-tarmac.

Engage Sport mode

On the road, a subtle increase in ride height does not change the Golf into a wallowing barge; it still resists body-roll and feels precise to steer. The optional £795 Dynamic Chassis Control can beef up the suspension in Sport mode, with the payoff being a firmer ride when selected.

Upgraded 18-inch wheels also make the Alltrack feel busier on broken tarmac, but never to the point of being uncomfortable. A bonus, given the car is likely to appeal to family buyers. 

Being a Golf Estate underneath, the Alltrack loses none of its inherent practicality. The boot can accommodate up to 611 litres with the rear seats up, and these offer decent headroom and legroom. The same is true up-front, with comfortable sports seats finished in Alltrack-branded cloth trim.

A touch too much

Like other Golf models, the Alltrack uses Volkswagen’s latest Innovision Cockpit. It means most interior functions are integrated into a 10-inch multimedia touchscreen. This even extends to buttons for the climate control, and is likely to result in multiple jabs at the screen to get the setting you want. 

Familiarity does help to a degree, but some tasks will never feel simple. The touch-sensitive controls for the optional panoramic sunroof, for example, are an abject lesson in how to make a simple task more difficult. 

Standard equipment for the Alltrack includes LED headlights, adaptive cruise control, satellite navigation, keyless entry and parking sensors.

It goes some way towards offsetting the £37,075 starting price, which can easily be pushed higher via a trip into the options list. Crossing the £40,000 barrier makes some of the Golf’s interior plastics look a little cheap.

Not following the herd

The Alltrack compares favourably on list price against a Volkswagen Tiguan in similar specification. However, monthly payments and the need to be ‘on trend’ are likely to sway most buyers towards the SUV option. Being diesel-only doesn’t help the Alltrack’s cause either. 

It all means the Golf Estate Alltrack will be a rare sight on UK roads. Being an estate car, rather than an SUV, will likely be part of its appeal for those who buy one. And they can be pleased with their choice: an estate with effortless performance, plenty of space and genuine off-road ability.

To use a predictable motoring cliché, the Golf Estate Alltrack really is all the car you need.

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