Peter Palmer: VW Golf Alltrack & Golf SportWagen Production Coming To An End

The Volkswagen Golf Alltrack and Golf SportWagen will cease production at the end of the year. The automaker says continued demand for SUVs by American consumers influenced the decision. As of the first half of 2019, SUVs account for 47 percent of the industry’s sales, and more than 50 percent of VW’s sales. Within VW’s portfolio, the Atlas and Tiguan remain the strongest, with the highest year-over-year percentage growth among mainstream automotive brands in the first six months of 2019, according to the company.

New Market Strategy

VW is now directing their focus accordingly and will release three new SUVs over the next two years. The five-seat Atlas Cross Sport will arrive this year, while the electric ID. CROZZ will debut early next year. By 2021, a smaller SUV will slot beneath the Tiguan. Company leaders say VW’s latest EV platform will give them the flexibility to better adapt to a changing market.

“SUVs have definitely assumed the mantle of family haulers from the station wagons and minivans we remember from our childhoods,” explained Scott Keogh, President and CEO, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “But as we look towards the future, both our expanded SUV lineup and the upcoming ID. family of electric vehicles will bring the opportunity to combine the style and space people want in a variety of ways. As the ID. BUZZ concept demonstrates, the flexibility of our EV platform gives us the ability to revive body styles of the past, so anything is possible.”

VW Golf Alltrack. Photo: Volkswagen of America, Inc.

Related: On the road with the VW Alltrack.

2019 VW Golf Alltrack

Volkswagen will continue building the Alltrack at the Puebla, Mexico plant through December. For 2019, the Golf Alltrack comes with 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, LED Daytime Running Lights, and leatherette seating surfaces. Standard with all-wheel drive, the Alltrack’s 1.8-liter TSI engine produces 168 horsepower and 199 lb-ft. of torque. There are two transmission options: either a six-speed DSG automatic or a six-speed manual. For mild off-roading, the Alltrack offers 6.9 inches of ground clearance.

Safety features include Forward Collision Warning, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Pedestrian Monitoring (Front Assist), Blind Spot Monitor, and Rear Traffic Alert. Optional features are numerous and include 18-inch wheels, a panoramic sunroof, navigation, lane-keeping assist, and Adaptive Cruise Control among others. Pricing starts at $26,895 for the Alltrack S with a six-speed manual. By comparison, the Alltrack S with the automatic begins at $27,995.

2019 VW Golf SportWagen Photo: Volkswagen of America, Inc.

2019 VW Golf SportWagen

The 2019 Golf SportWagen comes with 15-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, LED Daytime Running Lights, and cloth seats. Optional features include 17-inch wheels, LED headlights, foglights, auto-dimming rearview mirror, lane-keeping assist, and Adaptive Cruise Control. Front-wheel drive SportWagens feature a 1.4-liter TSI engine with 147 horsepower and 184 lb-ft. of torque. By comparison, all-wheel drive models employ the Alltrack’s 1.8-liter engine.

On the transmission front, the 1.4-liter is paired with either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic; the 1.8-liter is available with either the six-speed manual or the Alltrack’s six-speed DSG automatic.

Price-wise, the 2019 Golf SportWagen comes in just below the Alltrack. Front-wheel drive models with the manual transmission begin at $21,895, while the automatics start at $22,995. All-wheel drive models with the manual begin at $24,395 versus $25,495 for the automatics.

Destination charge for all Golf wagon models is $895.

Source: Volkswagen of America, Inc.