Volkswagen Passat

In contrast to the massive change on the outside, the interiors of the new Passat are almost identical to the older version. We tested the top end Highline version which comes standard with black leather seats and the cabin wears a dark treatment as well, broken at places with chrome and wooden inserts. The first thing that impresses you is the comfort and spacious feel in the driver’s seat. The steering feels familiar and so do other parts like the audio system, climate control etc. Volkswagen has raided parts from its other models and it shows here. However, the overall quality of the cabin is high and the top end model surprises with the list of goodies it has to offer. Just to name a few, the Highline Passat comes with 12 way electrically adjustable front seats, air-conditioned front seats, keyless access including start/stop, light & sight package with rain sensors, sun-roof, self-parking system, attention assist, ESP and traction control etc.Both the front and the rear passengers get arm rests – the front one have usable storage space while the rear has integrated cup-holders. The small round watch integrated in the horizontally running wooden insert is a nice touch and gives you a sense of luxury. The top end model also comes with a 2-zone climate control system in addition to a rear electric blind. On the space front, even with two 6-feet tall people up front, there is decent space at the rear for three passengers. By increasing the equipment level on the Passat, Volkswagen is actually providing class leading and high segment rivaling comfort and pampering at a lesser price.

The new Passat is based on the same platform as the earlier version. Hence, there was a limit till which the designers could play with the overall design. What they have come out with lends a completely new feel and look to the car. It also wears the new VW look which can now be seen on the smaller Jetta offering. Infact, baring the roof, all the other body parts are new. From the front, the Passat now looks slimmer, younger and sophisticated. There is a good dose of chrome – the louvres of the restyled grille and front air intake with chrome trimmed surrounds for instance. The headlamps are sharper and also incorporate day time running LEDs. The headlamps are of the Bi-Xenon variety and also gets their own individual washers! The side profile of the Passat is quite sporty and though it is devoid of any sharp angles or creases, the modern design is pretty much evident. The rear again is new and though some of the industry critics didn’t really enjoy the rear end treatment, we feel the new Passat looks good from this angle too. The tail-lamps are narrow and long and you again notice the chrome inserts around. We would have loved a small boot lip though the twin exhaust pipes on the left make their presence felt nicely.
rnThe new Passat is 4769mm long, 1820mm wide (making it wider than the Accord and Superb) and 1470mm high. Made available in two versions of Comforline and Highline, these come shod with 16-inch wheels. The Passat is sold in five colors of Cashmere Brown, Mocca Anthracite, Deep Black, Reflex Silver and Candy White.

The Passat has a 2.0-litre diesel engine is of the common rail variety and makes a very good 170Bhp of power along with a healthy 350Nm of torque at just 1750 revs. The mileage is  18.33kmpl which is brilliant considering the size and performance of the car.

Another area where the Passat scores very high is the comfort factor. Changes were made to the suspension set-up and the car now easily surpasses its previous avatar on the comfort factor, even if, at the cost of handling. To start with, the steering is pretty light and decently communicative – we say decently as it is electric in nature and hence devoid of a direct feel for enthusiasts. The seats offer more comfort and once you start rolling into typical bad roads, the way the Passat completely dismisses off rough patches, pot-holes and sharp undulations is impressive. Suspension noise is also muted and the car goes about isolating the passengers with ease.

Volkswagen did surprise us at the launch of the Passat by revealing the fact that the car would only come with a diesel engine. Only when we drove it extensively did we understand the reasoning properly. This new 2.0-litre diesel engine is of the common rail variety and makes a very good 170Bhp of power along with a healthy 350Nm of torque at just 1750 revs. This is the same that is also seen in other cars like the Jetta, Laura, Superb and Yeti, but in different states of tune. For a car that is priced between Rs 22 to Rs 25 lakh, the Passat probably provides the most exciting performance in the segment. Press the start-stop button and the diesel spins to life, relaxing into a muted idle. NVH levels are of the highest order and once on the move, until unless you are pedal to metal, the diesel engine doesn’t make itself felt prominently.It is pretty evident that the engine has been tuned for efficiency. Drive the Passat in a sober manner and the DSG gearbox (we drove the Highline version with DSG transmission) up-shifts into the 6th gear immediately. However, that said, the DSG ‘box is known for its immediate shift and a dab on the accelerator pedal makes it drop a couple of gears in a jiffy. From the performance point of view, the Passat can give you grinning moments very easily. Infact, driving in a spirited manner, it can keep up with more expensive German rivals easily. 

If you like driving in a spirited manner, the new Passat might not offer confidence inspiring road manners – but this will hardly be the case with most owners. Another little disadvantage of the soft set-up is that with a full load, driving over smooth, long flowing dips and elevations at speeds does result in wallowing. In normal usage, under probably all circumstances, the Passat will do just fine for both city and highway usage. On the safety front, the Passat gives you the assurance of Attention Assist, curtain and side air-bags, ESP, ABS, TCS etc!