In November 2011, Volkswagen displayed a concept called the Passat Alltrack at the Tokyo Motor Show with no plans of it coming to the U.S. In the auto industry, things tend to change quickly, as now Volkswagen has decided to display a concept car bearing just the Alltrack name at the 2012 New York Auto Show.

At this point, the Alltrack is strictly considered to be a concept, but it wouldn’t be completely outlandish to see it hit the market here soon, especially given the fact that VW no longer offers a wagon model in the U.S. The closest to a wagon that VW offers is the Tiguan->ke1817, a crossover SUV, and the Routan->ke3023, a minivan.

The Alltrack is reported to arrive with a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel engine that cranks out a respectable 140 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. Along with the TDI engine, the Alltrack will feature a six-speed, dual clutch automatic transmission and 4Motion AWD.

The Jetta Alltrack is a really good looking car, for a station wagon that is. The question that really arises is can a traditional station wagon not named “Volvo,” roam the streets of America anymore? Lately automakers are starting to move back into the wagon market, but most are “sport wagons,” including: Acura TSX Sport Wagon, Audi A3 Wagon, Cadillac CTS-V Wagon, and so on. Its most likely competition would be the BMW 3-Series Wagon and the upcoming Volvo V40.

The determining factor will be the response it gets at the auto show. If potential buyers start clamoring for it, you can expect VW to release it almost as quickly as they can produce them. We will continue to provide details on this potential new model, as VW releases them. One thing is for sure, we can all appreciate VW spelling “Track” the right way. Not “Trac,” “Trak,” “Trax,” or any other odd variation.

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