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2017 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack is an AutoGuide.com Car of the Year Contender

The Golf Alltrack premiered earlier this year to excellent reviews. Now, though, with the end of the year fast approaching, the extent of its excellence is being recognized.

Our pals over at Autoguide.com have gone so far as to name it one of the contenders in its Car of the Year competition.

The editors got all of the Car of the Year contenders together recently to run them together and see which one came out on top.

The results of their tabulations will be revealed on Tuesday, but until then have a look at the glowing video review of the Golf Alltrack below, and you can read more of the editors’ thoughts on the VW at autoguide.com.

The 2017 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack’s standout feature is an off-road mode that changes the throttle mapping and enables hill-descent control for creeping down steep grades. Besides that, the powertrain is also a gem: the tallish wagon is powered by Volkswagen’s refined 1.8-liter turbo four-cylinder with 170 horsepower and 199 pound-feet of torque. Combined with the six-speed DSG transmission, it’s so smooth and responsive that it feels like it could have been taken right out of a luxury car.

On a light trail, the Golf Alltrack was impressive and its AWD system worked really well to reroute traction where it was needed most, helping the wagon get out of a deep rut with only three wheels on the dirt. On the road, the Golf Alltrack feels like a regular Golf to drive, which is remarkable, considering how much bigger it is.

Being a German car, the interior is also well built and very functional, although not very flashy. The infotainment system could definitely use an upgrade as well, but the main reason anyone would buy this car is the massive 67 cubic feet of cargo space.

The 2017 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack is an exceedingly practical vehicle with no gimmicks. It is an all-around excellent product.

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