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Now, Volkswagen is extending the Passat model series with the new ‘Passat Alltrack’. Passat Alltrack has higher ground clearance and new off-road design. Basically, the new Passat Alltrack unites passenger car and SUV world altogether. The Alltrack will debut in a world premiere at the Tokyo Motor Show (3 to 11 December, 2011) and market launch for the new versatile Alltrack begins in early 2012.

This new version is offered in an estate car configuration, and it closes the gap between the conventional Passat Estate and SUVs such as the Tiguan. The rationale here: Many car drivers, who use their car as a towing vehicle, or in light off-road situations, want a versatile, sporty and very roomy passenger car that has rugged qualities. Volkswagen developed the Passat Alltrack for this clientele. In comparison with the familiar Passat Estate, the new model is defined by new bumpers in SUV style – with wheel well and side sill flares. Its greater off-road ramp angle, approach angle, departure angle and higher ground clearance all make the Passat Alltrack an excellent SUV alternative for driving on unpaved track.

Two turbocharged direct injection petrol engines (TSI) with 160 PS (118 kW) and 210 PS (155 kW) and two direct injection turbodiesels (TDI) with 140 PS (103 kW) and 170 PS (125 kW) are available in the Passat Alltrack. The two most powerful Alltrack versions, the 170 PS TDI and the 210 PS TSI, have standard 4MOTION all-wheel drive and a dual clutch transmission (DSG).

For the Passat Alltrack with a 140 PS TDI, Volkswagen will offer all-wheel drive as an option. Just how efficiently the engines of the Passat Alltrack operate together with the intelligently controlled 4MOTION all-wheel drive system is illustrated by the two TDI engines: the 140 PS version has a low combined fuel consumption of 5.7 l/100 km (equivalent to 150 g/km CO2), while fuel consumption for the 170 PS version is 5.8 l/100 km (152 g/km CO2).

Photo Gallery: 2012 Volkswagen Passat Alltrack

Volkswagen AG will expand vehicle and component production at their Germany plant in Wolfsburg and Kassel, Stuttgarter Zeitung reported.

In the statement, Volkswagen will increase daily output of the Tiguan compact sport-utility vehicle in Wolfsburg to 1,000 units next year from 750 and build more two-way shift gearboxes at the Kassel plant, the newspaper said.

Wolfsburg-based Volkswagen, aiming to surpass Toyota Motor Corp. in sales and profitability, has a goal to increase global deliveries to 10 million by 2018.

A Volkswagen Passat BlueMotion has set a new Guinness World Record for the longest distance travelled by a standard production passenger car on a single tank of fuel.

The attempt, carried out by a team from The Sunday Times, involved driving from Maidstone in Kent to the South of France and back. The Passat BlueMotion finally ran out of fuel close to Calais after completing a distance of 1,526.63 miles.

The route mainly followed French autoroutes, but included some town driving, resulting in an average speed of just over 45 mph.

Gavin Conway, for The Sunday Times, drove the Passat BlueMotion during the three-day record-breaking trip, accompanied by a navigator and video crew. Two AA patrolmen followed the entire attempt in their van to witness the journey independently for the Guinness World Records organisation, which accredited the record.

Powered by a Volkswagen 1.6-litre common rail TDI engine developing 105 PS, the Passat BlueMotion used for the record attempt was a standard production model. In common with the Polo and Golf BlueMotion models, the Passat is fitted with aerodynamic modifications to the bodywork, a lower ride height, Stop/Start, programmed battery charging, longer gearing and low rolling resistance tyres. The result is a vehicle that is completely conventional to drive, service and maintain yet among the most efficient vehicles on the road today.

The Passat BlueMotion’s fuel tank was drained before the record breaking journey and filled with 77.25 litres of standard forecourt diesel, resulting in an overall fuel consumption of 89.83 miles per gallon. This substantially exceeds the Passat BlueMotion’s official combined figure of 64.2 mpg. The resulting fuel cost for the journey works out at just 6.17p per mile travelled.

In setting the record the Passat BlueMotion travelled a distance equivalent to driving from London to Malaga, without needing to refuel or from New York to Los Angeles with a single stop for diesel.

Photo Gallery: 2010 Paris Motor Show - 2011 VW Passat

Previously, there is some article mentioning about the acquisition of one Italian design firm by Volkswagen. For now, the German automaker has completed the acquisition of Italdesign Giugiaro S.p.A. (IDG) on last Monday. Volkswagen Group now holds a 90.1 percent stake in the Italian design and engineering firm as well as the company’s brand name rights and patents. Volkswagen Group spokesman said the shareholding has been purchased by Audi’s Italian subsidiary Lamborghini with the remaining stake held by present owner family Giugiaro.

The Italian design consultancy was established in 1968 by Giorgetto Giugiaro and Aldo Mantovani. This great company has created a great number of vehicles for the VW Group over the years including the Golf Mk1 and many concept models such as the first Volkswagen Passat, Scirocco and the Audi 80. Besides, Italdesign was also responsible the design of many Fiat models as well as Alfa Romeo. The Proton Emas Hybrid Concept that revealed in Geneva early this year is also design by Italdesign-Giugiaro.

Referring to our previous posting on Volkswagen Passat 2011 Leaked Photo, we found a spy video of the redesigned 2011 VW Passat. As mentioned previously, Volkswagen Passat will make official world premiere in this year’s Paris Motor Show in October and arrive in dealerships early next year.

The 2011 Volkswagen Passat is expected having new front and rear designs that identical to their current line-up like Scirocco, Golf and the 2011 Jetta. Apart from there, the Passat’s interior will receive a new design entirely. In the video, you will notice the new steering wheel and door panel.

Moving forward to engine and transmission, I foreseeing Volkswagen will be remain using the award winning TSI engine (EA888) as well as the Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) from the current model for the upcoming 2011 Passat.

Check out the spy video of the 2011 Volkswagen Passat