FIRSTDRIVE VW PASSAT:WHEN WE think of iconic models that have made Volkswagen the global brand it is today, the Beetle and Golf trip off the tongue. But another model has been equally important: the Passat. It has been on the road for 37 years and, as it enters its seventh generation, sales are approaching 15 million, making it the third-best-selling VW model of all time.
This latest model is about an evolution of a car that has proved itself. It is about keeping up with the competition as the traditional family car moves towards the premium sector.
If you haven’t been inside a family saloon in a few years, it’s worth taking a look. It is stocked with more gadgets than you would have found on a premium model three or four years ago.
Let’s take the new Passat. A favourite of Irish fleet and family buyers for decades, it now comes with such options as a fatigue detection system, which monitors your driving and alerts you if it thinks your reaction speed indicates tiredness. There is also the city emergency braking function, which constantly scans the road ahead and automatically initiates the brakes if necessary. When travelling at up to 30km/h, that means a full stop without collision.
Then there’s the user-friendly boot. If your hands are full, you can simply swipe your foot under the back bumper and the lid will pop open. It works by sensing the key on your person in much the same way that keyless entry works on many luxury cars.
Then there are the automatically dipping headlights, the blind spot indicator, the lane assist warning and the self-parking system that automatically steers the car into either parallel or perpendicular spaces.
Yes, many of these systems are on offer on rival cars but the Passat represents the culmination of the technology available to modern motorists.
In terms of looks, the new Passat has received a posh nip and tuck rather than full-on cosmetic surgery. It takes its cue from VW’s flagship saloon, the Phaeton, a car that has never sold more than a handful here.
The subtle changes to the exterior reflect the Phaeton styling, as does the interior trim. The Passat always wins plaudits for its cabin and VW clearly wants to retain that reputation.
All these give the Passat some premium-style airs and graces, not that the outgoing model was particularly rough.
In many ways, the previous model pushed the regular family saloon into vying for premium targets, with its high quality interior trims. It wasn’t simply the family car you bought when you couldn’t afford a better one.
Others followed and now there is a fine collection of family cars that brush right up against the likes of the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class.
They might not offer the brand appeal of the luxury names, but they have most of the creature comforts, more space and all at a lower price.
The Passat’s new Phaeton-like image means a more graceful outline too, but one that we suspect will go unnoticed by most.
Despite the conservative approach to re-styling, the new car boasts significant improvements in engine economy. There are 10 engine variants on offer globally and three will be of interest to Irish buyers.
Better still, all of the trio, regardless of output, fall into motor tax band A or B – well, they do until the budget, at least.
The big seller will be the 1.6TDI 105bhp that puts out 114g/km. It is fine for general suburban driving, and better than its predecessor, but it still lacks the torque that is really needed to give a car of this size some clout.
A better buy is the 2-litre diesel with either 140bhp or 170bhp. With 119g\km on the 140bhp version and 135bhp on the 170bhp, it is not very expensive to opt for extra power.
We found the 140bhp ideal, with plenty of torque on tap, while still being in the same tax band as the 1.6-litre diesel. All engines now feature systems that reduce emissions and cut out the engine when stopped in traffic.
In terms of ride and handling, there is a smoothness to the steering that might not offer the pinpoint accuracy of a race car, but is sharp enough to find favour with buyers used to far more expensive alternatives.
From the prompt but smooth delivery of power to the car’s handling, there is a level of refinement that is right at the top end of its market. It is let down only by the rather noisy diesel rattle from the 1.6-litre engine.
VW has yet to confirm prices, but we expect them to start at less than €25,000 for the 1.6-litre, rising to €26,500 for the 2-litre 140bhp diesel. The extra investment is worth it.
The Passat is likely to make a concerted challenge for the top spot in the family car market and rightly so.
FACTFILE
ENGINES
1.6-litre 105bhp dieselputting out 114g/km (tax band A) with manual transmission with a 0-100km/h time of 12.2 secs;
1.4-litre 122bhp petrolputting out 138g/km (tax band B) with manual transmission with a 0-100km/h time of 10.3 secs;
2-litre 140bhp dieselputting out 119g/km (tax band A) with manual transmission with a 0-100km/h time of 9.8 secs;
2-litre 170bhp petrolputting out 120g/km (tax band B) with manual transmission with a 0-100km/h time of 8.6 secs;
Prices:Unconfirmed but likely to start at €25,000 for the 1.4-litre petrol; €25,500 for the 1.6-litre diesel and €28,200 for the entry Comfortline version of the 2.0-litre 140bhp diesel