GENEVA - Volkswagen gives us the World Premiere of the new Passat Alltrack.

• World premiere at the Geneva International Motor Show
• All-wheel drive all-rounder* combines exceptional off-road properties with excellent travel comfort

The latest generation of the Passat Alltrack* is celebrating its debut at this year's Geneva International Motor Show. Based on the new Passat Estate, the new Passat Alltrack impresses with an independent off-road look, 4MOTION permanent all-wheel drive and highly advanced technologies. The updated version confidently handles rough terrain, on the one hand, while simultaneously providing excellent cruising comfort – thanks to the driving profile selector and DCC adaptive chassis control.

The Passat Alltrack is an independent model within the model series. This can be seen in exterior features such as the modified bumpers (with underbody guard in stainless-steel look), rugged wheel arch and side sill moulding covers in "Anthracite" and sill extensions. Its 27.5 mm higher ground clearance also makes it ready for any driving situation. Anodised silver roof rails, "Alltrack" badges on the radiator grille and tailgate, and custom 17-inch alloy wheels (18- and 19-inch wheel options available) upgrade this Estate even more.

At the same time, the Passat Alltrack scores with state-of-the-art technology. Thanks to its special Offroad driving programme with suitably modified assistance systems, modified chassis and the alliance of EDS (electronic differential lock), XDS+ and 4MOTION permanent all-wheel drive, it is the perfect all-round vehicle for both the on-road and off-road worlds. In addition, the Passat Alltrack is an ideal towing vehicle. A towing load of 2,200 kg (braked) can be hitched to it on a twelve per cent gradient (exception: 110 kW /150 PS TSI has towing capacity of 1,800 kg).

In addition, the Passat Alltrack can be fitted with an exceptionally large range of driver assistance and infotainment systems. They include an Active Info Display (fully digital instruments), head-up display (for projecting information), Media Control rear seat entertainment system for tablet computers, Front Assist (lane-changing assistant), Emergency Assist (stops vehicle in emergency), Traffic Jam Assist, Rear Traffic Alert (detects vehicles in cross-traffic when backing out of parking spaces) and Trailer Assist (for assisted manoeuvring with a trailer).

The theme of infotainment also assumes a high priority in the Passat Alltrack. A total of five radio and radio-navigation units are available for the Passat Alltrack, which enable a maximum degree of connectivity. The various interfaces include connecting to smartphones via App Connect.

App Connect consists of applications like Mirror Link™, Car Play (Apple) and Android Auto (Google), which permit integration of nearly all smartphones and an enormous bandwidth of apps.

Volkswagen is offering a total of five new direct fuel injection engines for the new Passat Alltrack: The powerful petrol turbocharged engines (TSI) produce 110 kW / 150 PS and 162 kW / 220 PS. The range of the torque- strong turbo-diesels (TDI) begins at 110 kW / 150 PS. The next higher power levels are 140 kW / 190 PS and 176 kW / 240 PS. They all conform to the Euro-6 emissions standard. A stop-start system and recover of braking energy with battery regeneration are also included as standard.

USA - New Volkswagen Golf R ready to pre order NOW.

Eagerly anticipated all-wheel-drive Golf R, Volkswagen’s highest performance model, will be available for pre-order on January 8, 2015

Volkswagen of America, Inc. today announced the opportunity for customers to pre-order one of the first 500 available 2015 Golf R models, the most powerful production Golf ever offered in the U.S. The pre-order will go live on VW.com/GolfR on January 8^th and customers can secure their place in line by paying a $500 reservation fee.

The first 500 Golf R models will be identical: the topline Golf R with DCC® & Nav and the six-speed DSG® dual-clutch automatic transmission. All the cars will be painted in Lapiz Blue Metallic and feature the 292 horsepower 2.0-liter TSI® engine; 19-inch “Cadiz” aluminum-alloy wheels and summer performance tires; 4Motion® all-wheel drive; Bi-Xenon headlights with LED Daytime Running Lights; DCC® adaptive damping system; Park Distance Control; a navigation system; and the Fender® Premium Audio System. The Golf R with DCC & Nav has a starting MSRP of $39,090, plus $820 destination and delivery charge.

These first 500 owners will receive an exclusive, numbered Volkswagen Driver Gear R accessory kit, which consists of:

• An exclusive, serialized Volkswagen R watch
• A serialized carbon fiber and stainless steel keychain
• A serialized and VIN-specific certificate

There will only be 500 of these Volkswagen R accessory kits ever made available to customers, and these will be serialized to match the VINs of the Golf R pre-Order vehicles.

Through the 2015 Golf R pre-order program, customers pay a $500 reservation fee that goes towards the final purchase of their 2015 Golf R model. 

The simple program involves the following steps: customers access the pre-order site at VW.com/GolfR, enter their contact information (including zip code) and review key program terms; select a dealer for retail delivery; enter and confirm billing information through the Amazon Payments® platform; and finally, receive the R accessories kit once the vehicle is reported sold by the dealer. The $500 reservation fee is fully refundable.

Once all 500 vehicles have been claimed through the pre-Order process, customers will have the option to get on a wait-list through VW.com/GolfR, should any existing consumers cancel their reservation.

With 292 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque from its turbocharged and direct-injection EA888 TSI® engine, the new Golf R has 36 hp and 37 lb-ft more than the previous version. Despite the additional power and torque, the new R model is considerably more fuel-efficient than its predecessor with an EPA estimated highway fuel economy rating of 30 mpg with the six-speed DSG® transmission, up from 27 mpg for the previous, manual-transmission model. 

Like all previous Golf R models, the new model transfers its power to the road via a permanent all-wheel-drive system; in this case, the latest version of the 4Motion® system with a fifth-generation Haldex® coupling. To help ensure great chassis dynamics, there’s a new sport suspension, the progressive variable-ratio steering system, and the ESC Sport stability control system, which can now be deactivated for track driving. Other highlights include the DCC adaptive damping system that is standard on the Golf R with DCC & Nav.

The six-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission offers a launch control feature, enabling the car to complete the 0 to 60 mph sprint in just 4.9 seconds. The top track speed is 155 mph.