Volkswagen like to call their Volkswagen Passat the seventh generation version, but if truth be told this car is a revised version of its predecessor. Still, there is a modicum of changes that will whet appetites. The Volkswagen Passat is more ecological, more refined, and better looking. It comes with stop-start technology and features thicker glass. It isn’t revolutionary, but the changes mean it’s much more competitive now. Let’s take a closer look at what it offers.
A Supple Ride
Whether you choose a Volkswagen Passat estate or a Volkswagen Passat saloon, you’ll find that engine choices are the same. This means they both start with a 1.6-litre diesel that develops 103bhp, and which is also used across the rest of the VW lineup. It probably doesn’t sound like it would be able to offer the mighty Volkswagen Passat anything productive, but as most Volkswagen Passat estate reviews will attest, it actually offers pretty stellar service here and can get the Passat to 62mph from rest in a reasonable 12.2 seconds. One of its benefits is its superb economy, so if that’s your thing, the 1.6 could be right up your street.
The most popular engine with buyers, though, will be the Volkswagen Passat 2.0 TDI diesel, which develops 138bhp or 168bhp. Wedded to a six-speed manual gearbox, even the 138bhp variant offers good performance, whilst again economy is more than an afterthought. In terms of acceleration, the 138 variant can get the Volkswagen Passat to 60mph from rest in 10 seconds flat, which again is pretty reasonable and satisfactory to most consumers who buy these kinds of cars.
Whichever engine you choose, the ride is not what you’d call edge-of-your-seat stuff, but the 15 million Passat drivers prefer refinement and a nice quiet ride any day of the week. And that’s just what you get. It rides well, it’s supple, and now benefits from lighter suspension too.
Wonderfully Familiar
All body panels for the Volkswagen Passat are new, barring the roof. Proportions and dimensions are also similar to last time around, whilst the styling is evocative of the Volkswagen Phaeton. This means wraparound rear lights for the Volkswagen Passat Saloon, as well as a more pronounced bonnet. The new Volkswagen Passat indeed looks lower than last time around, whilst also creating the impression of being wider. Enhancements include chrome louvres, as well as a front splitter that features chrome trim, as well as slimmer door mirrors.
Step inside, and you’ll be stepping into something eerily familiar – if you’ve owned a Passat in the past, that is. Whether this would irk you or not is down to personal discretion, but few can really begrudge the clarity and precision here. Not to mention the quality of the materials, particularly in the Volkswagen Passat Executive. The seats are positively huge, and come with flexible seat cushions, whilst overall space and room is great. The Volkswagen Passat saloon offers a very worthy 513-litres of boot space, whilst the only thing missing from the cabin technology is an optional navigation system.
Facts and Figures
You can get hold of a Volkswagen Passat for as little as £19,620, with prices rising to around £27,000. You’ll be able to get hold of a used Volkswagen Passat for a little less. Models in the range include the Volkswagen Passat CC, for which a quick read of a Volkswagen Passat CC review would stand you in good stead. Standard equipment across the range includes lumbar support, a post-collision braking system, a driver alert system, 16” alloys, as well as a multimedia system with DAB digital radio. Running costs are overall very good, with the 1.6-litre TDI diesel benefiting from BlueMotion technology to return figures of 65.7mpg whilst emitting just 114g/km of CO2.
Final Thoughts
This is the seventh generation version of the Volkswagen Passat, and so by now the brand should know what buyers expect this car to be. They do, and this means refinement, a quiet, enjoyable ride, great running costs and low emissions. Whichever model you choose, you’ll find oodles of space, fantastic build quality and an array of equipment that is, shall we say, good enough. Sure, performance is not absolutely fantastic, but by now the brand have realised that this isn’t the reason people buy a Passat – and we wouldn’t want it any other way.
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