Volkswagen PASSAT RANGE (NEW)
Volkswagens Sixth-Generation Passat Climbs Ever Further Upmarket. Andy Enright Reports
Volkswagens Passat has enjoyed a rather unusual place in the national consciousness. Its a car for those who enjoy Teutonic build quality but dont want to fork out serious money for a
BMW,
Audi or Mercedes. Its a good deal bigger than equivalently priced premium marques but has never aimed to offer much in the way of driving dynamics. Latter models started to become seriously well equipped, the range-topping versions crawling uncomfortably close to the mighty Phaeton luxury saloon in terms of fitments and abilities, but the Passat was always at its best in base diesel guise.
The latest version takes the model in a very different direction.
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Although the old cars dome-shaped roof may have been noteworthy back in 1996, by 2005 it had metamorphosed into a handsome but very familiar look. Nobody interested in presenting a stylish front would ever choose a Passat when cars like the
Volvo S60, the
Jaguar X-TYPE and the
Alfa Romeo 156 all offered more in the way of studied elegance. The Passat proclaimed that its driver was comfortably off, sensible and could be trusted to look after the shop without blowing the takings on an all night bender. Or at least it did.
At first glance its not easy to differentiate the all-new sixth-generation Passat from the £50,000 Phaeton luxury saloon that acts as flagship for the
Volkswagen empire. Its grown in every dimension compared to the old car and there are the same sculpted rear buttresses and fluted flanks as the more expensive car. The Phaeton has long been a slow seller and the Passat could well drive a final nail into its coffin, so upmarket is this latest versions look and feel. The windscreen is raked back, giving the shape a far more dynamic stance, and the low roofline combines with a wedge-shaped profile that seems to store the cars energy up in its chunky haunches.
Whereas the old model always looked ready to accept a fare, this time round the Passat looks set to spring forward. Fit it with a big set of alloy wheels and it looks very special indeed.
"Ever wanted to know where the
smart money goes? Wonder no longer"
The length goes up by 62mm to 4.77m and the width rises 74mm to 1.82m. The car is marginally taller and the wheelbase is virtually unchanged up by an inconsequential 6mm which should tell you that a good deal of emphasis has been placed on improving crash structures at the front and adding a bigger boot at the back.
In fact, carrying capacity has gone up by a whopping 90 litres to 565 litres. Most cars these days are also a good deal more rigid in terms of torsional stiffness than their predecessors and the Passat is no exception. Find a jolly green giant to attempt to twist one and hed have to use 57 per cent more strength compared to the old car. In real terms, this means that the Passats body is torsionally quiet, allowing the suspenion to do its work more effectively.
The end result is a more cossetting ride and better performance through corners. One characteristic of the old Passat range was an almost dizzying variety of engines. In fact, this model seemed to be the testbed for all sorts of engines. In fifth generation guise, overstock from other ranges seemed to be diverted to the Passat and you could have anything from a 90bhp diesel up to the mighty 275bhp 4.
0-litre W8 engine. Will that continue? Quite probably. At present, Volkswagen are playing things conservatively when it comes to the initial batch of engines slated for the sixth generation version. Two diesels and two petrol engines, none of them hugely powerful, are offered.
The petrols comprise a 114bhp 1.6-litre FSI unit and a 148bhp 2.0-litre FSI powerplant. If youd rather plump for diesel, theres a 104bhp 1.
9-litre TDI or the vastly superior 138bhp 2.0-litre TDI engine. Team the 2.0-litre TDI with the revolutionary DSG (Direct Shift Gearbox) and youll have a very satisfying ride.
This uses a sequential manual gearbox in order to ensure efficiency and rapid responses, but it also uses a clever twin clutch system to ensure creamy smoothness. Engage first gear and the gearbox will pre-engage second gear in advance, the second clutch engaging as soon as you flick up to fire the Passat instantly into second gear. This means a seamless flow of power. The electronics predict what gear youre about to engage, depending on whether youre accelerating or braking, and the result is astonishing, making every other gearbox look distinctly clunky.
The other option is to slip it into D and drive it like a normal automatic. Even in this mode its butter smooth. One comes away with the impression that some day all gearboxes will be made this way. The petrol cars have to make do with the less special six-speed tiptronic automatic.
Volkswagen promise 4MOTION all-wheel drive models in the not too distant future. The Passats cabin might come as a surprise to those expecting the Phaeton-esque styling influences to continue indoors. In fact, its rather functional, albeit in a clean, uncluttered fashion. Somewhat unusually for a Volkswagen, this could be where rivals will seek solace.
There is a good deal more use of light tones than in the unremittingly dark dashboard of the previous generation Passat, but those looking for something that signally moves the game on in terms of design philosophy may well come away disappointed. There are a number of technical highlights featured, however, such as Bluetooth connectivity for the telephone unit, a superior quality stereo, an electronic handbrake and a 2Zone Climatronic air conditioning system. Its not clear at present quite which direction Volkswagen aim to take the Passat. The prosaic choice of engines initially available would suggest that the firm is keen to keep it as an upspec medium range saloon car, although subsequent versions could well see it flexing its executive class muscles.
The Passat remains a tough car to pin down.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Volkswagen Passat range
PRICES: £15,500-£21,500 [est] - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 9-14 [est]
CO2 EMISSIONS: tba g/km
PERFORMANCE: [2.0 FSI] 0-60mph 9.5s / Max Speed 130mph [est]
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [2.0 FSI] (combined) 36.2mpg [est]
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: tba
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height mm, 4770/1820/1470
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