After it was introduced last year during Paris Motor Show, the new Volkswagen Golf Alltrack, an off-road version of the Golf Variant is ready to tackle the US market. In America the car will be called Golf SportWagen Alltrack and will be introduced as a 2017 model. 
Technical and visual differences between the Golf SportWagen and the Alltrack include a 4Motion all-wheel-drive system, nearly an inch (20 mm) higher ground clearance, wheelarch moldings and flared side sills that offer body protection, newly designed bumpers, and a more upscale interior.
In normal driving, the Alltrack acts like a front-wheel-drive car for better fuel economy, but as soon as the Haldex system detects wheel slip, up to 50 percent of the drive torque can be shipped to the rear wheels.
In combination with the higher ground clearance, the 4Motion all-wheel drive system gives the new Golf SportWagen the off-road capability and load-carrying capacity of a compact SUV along with the fuel economy of a compact wagon. Most probably, the US will receive the 1.9 TSI gasoline engine, delivering 180 hp and 280 Nm.