2017 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack range to add diesel model, cheaper petrol version

The 2017 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack due here around July will see three variants offered: a new base model 132TSI petrol, the retained existing 132TSI Premium, and a new diesel-powered 135TDI Premium model.

The latter will be powered by the brand's 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel engine with 135kW of power and 380Nm of torque, with a standard six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Fuel use should be close to 5.0 litres per 100 kilometres.

The existing 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder with 132kW of power and 280Nm of torque will be offered in the two petrol versions, again with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Fuel use for that model is currently claimed at 6.7L/100km. All VW Alltrack models have the brand's 4Motion permanent all-wheel-drive system as standard.

Pricing for the new models is still to be confirmed, though the company confirmed at a press event this week the new entry-grade 132TSI model will help give the high-riding wagon a more attainable price point. The current 132TSI Premium is priced at $37,990 plus on-road costs, so we could feasibly expect a sub-$35K price for the entry model and a $40K-ish price for the diesel.

"It's something that we've been working on for a while – we would have probably liked to introduce it a little earlier if we'd had the opportunity to," said Volkswagen Australia product marketing manager Jeff Shafer. "It does give customers a choice, obviously, in terms of their usage requirements. We do get some feedback about people who are doing longer commutes or are more rural-based preferring diesel over petrol. This gives us more choice in terms of meeting individual customer needs."

At the time of the launch of the 2016 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack, the German company was in the midst of a media minefield when it came to diesel engine offerings, but Shafer insisted that the so-called Dieselgate scandal wasn't what stopped the brand from bringing a diesel version of the Golf Alltrack to market sooner.

"The timing isn't really influenced by anything like that," he said. "We were pushing, actually, to get that engine earlier. I think the engine will be quite advanced in terms of its technology. I don't think we've seen any shift in purchasing on models where we've offered petrol and diesel – if we look at Tiguan, which we launched last year, the mix is as we'd expected, roughly 20 per cent diesel, which is in line with where we were before, and in line with market trends."

The 2016 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack Premium sold locally since May last year has items such as leather trim and satellite navigation. Perhaps expect cloth trim in the new base model... we'll update you with all the pricing and spec details as they come to hand.

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