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2015 Volkswagen Passat Alltrack ready for any road, except in the US

If Volkswagen built a Subaru Outback-fighter for US buyers, the Passat Alltrack would be it, and the new generation of VW's off-roading wagon debuted this week at the Geneva Motor Show. The Passat Alltrack – which is not sold in the United States – takes the car-like demeanor of the Passat and punches it up into a go-anywhere crossover. It has permanent 4Motion all-wheel drive, raised ride height and an electronic differential lock. The body is fitted with modified bumpers with underbody guards, reinforced wheelarches and side moldings with extended sills. There are roof rails on top, and it rolls on standard 17-inch wheels with 18s and 19s optional. The Passat Alltrack offers five direct-injected engines, with the lineup comprised of two turbocharged gasoline mills and three turbo diesels. Volkswagen loaded the vehicle with a wide range of infotainment and safety features, including choices of five radio and navigation units. It also has fully digital instruments, heads-up display and a rear-seat entertainment system setup for laptops. There is also lane-changing assist, rear-traffic alert and trailer-assist features. As spokesman confirmed to Autoblog there are no plans to bring the Passat Alltrack to the US market. 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.

Updated J.D. Power APEAL study shines on VW Group, Chevy

J.D. Power has just revealed the results of its 2013 APEAL Study, which looks at which brands have the most appealing cars based on sales figures, dealer inventory, brand loyalty, transaction and trade-in prices. The study was revamped for 2013, and places a larger focus on the new tech and infotainment options available to customers. All told, study participants gauged their vehicles on 77 different attributes, delivering a score out of a 1,000 points.
The Volkswagen Group had the greatest success of any corporation, topping the APEAL rankings with the Audi Allroad, Porsche Boxster, Porsche Cayenne, VW GTI and Passat. Chevrolet had the highest number of awards for a single brand, though, with the Avalanche, Sonic and Volt all taking home a prize.
The best brand overall was Porsche, which scored 884 out of a possible 1,000 points. The top Japanese brand was Lexus with a score of 847, while the top American brand was Cadillac, at 841. The best mainstream brand was Ram, which received a very respectable 817. The industry average for this year's study was 795, with 16 brands, all of which were mainstream, falling below the average.

VW recalls another 6,700 vehicles over fuel leak [UPDATE]

UPDATE: An earlier version of this post suggested that the expanded recall involved an additional 44,658 units, when VW tells us that is in fact the total number - adding a further 6,679 to the original recall of 37,979. The text below has been updated accordingly, with our apologies for the confusion. It was a little over a month ago that Volkswagen issued a recall for some 38,000 vehicles over a potential fuel leak. Now the German automaker and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have expanded that recall, affecting even more vehicles for the same issue. The problem revolves around a sealing cap at the fuel rail, which could fail and cause fuel to leak into the engine compartment, thereby increasing the risk of a fire. This time around, VW is calling in a selection of Jettas, Passats, Golfs, GTIs, Beetles and Beetle Convertibles, all of them from the 2014 and 2015 model years (except the Golf and GTI, of which only 2015 models are being recalled). The recall now affects an estimated additional 6,679 units, which (in addition to the 37,979 recalled previously) brings the total up to 44,658 vehicles across the United States. RECALL Subject : Fuel Leaking Into Engine Compartment Report Receipt Date: JAN 23, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V028000 Component(s): FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE Potential Number of Units Affected: 44,658 Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. SUMMARY: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Jetta vehicles manufactured March 28, 2014, to November 24, 2014, 2014-2015 Passat vehicles manufactured April 7, 2014, to November 18, 2014, 2015 Golf and GTI vehicles manufactured July 1, 2014, to November 20, 2014, and 2014-2015 Beetle and Beetle Convertible vehicles manufactured March 31, 2014, to November 27, 2014. A sealing cap at the fuel rail may fail, allowing fuel to leak into the engine compartment. CONSEQUENCE: A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, can result in a vehicle fire. REMEDY: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel rails with new parts, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in early February 2015. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 24BL. Note: This recall expands and supersedes recall 14V-809 (Volkswagen recall number 24Bi) and only affects vehicles not previously repaired under that campaign.