Volkswagen Passat
Overview
The Volkswagen Passat is a thoroughly engineered, full-sized diesel saloon that offers class-leading comfort, performance, and safety. With its elegant design and stylish appearance, the Passat will definitely stand out in the crowd of luxury sedans lining the Indian market. Passat has acquired the highest rating of five-stars by the NCAP in Europe for occupant protection during crash testing.
The Passat is available in two variants - DSG and DSGS, which are offered in front-wheel-drive configurations. Both are powered by a 2.0-litre TDl lnline-4 turbo diesel engine. The top competitors of the Passat include the BMW 3-Series and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Volkswagen is planning to add more choices/variants to the Passat depending on the response to the launch in India.
Engine and performance
The new Passat is built on a stretched version of the PQ45 platform used by the new Golf. Known as the PQ46 on the Passat, its 2.7-metre wheelbase is almost as long as that of the Accord or Camry. The Skoda Superb, which is built on a stretched, earlier-generation Passat platform, has a longer wheelbase and overall length. The new Passat does make more efficient use of space, though. It now uses a transversely-mounted engine and an independent rear suspension setup; the former to improve packaging and space management and the latter for improved ride and handling dynamics.
The soft diesel clatter of Volkswagen’s Pumpe Duse (PD) motor serves as a constant reminder of what is powering the Passat. Unlike most modern direct-injection diesels, this motor does not use the common-rail system of distributing diesel at high pressure.The PD system, used on many VW Group cars like the Skoda Laura, uses individual fuel pumps placed on top of each fuel injector. This allows for instant reaction and high pressure. The downside to this is more clatter and noise — approximately five percent more during acceleration than a similar common-rail unit. But this Passat is still considerably better than earlier examples of this system that have been tested.
Passat does move forward on only a hint of throttle, but ask it to accelerate cleanly from this engine speed and it takes a couple of seconds to respond strongly, probably a bit more than others. Once the motor is past 2000 or 2200rpm, power comes in strong and rushed, typical of a PD motor. Acceleration is now very sporty, the punch of the PD engine thrusting the Passat forward with 32kgm of torque. While overtaking, we breeze easily past cars on a rush of turbo boost and torque and this actually makes the car feel quite light-footed. Flat-out acceleration with the six-speed gearbox feels strong, the claimed sub-10 second 0-100 time sounding accurate. With approximately as much power, torque and weight as the Sonata Embera diesel, expect similar performance.
The other option on offer in India will be the fantastic DSG, the best automatic gearbox in the world. Seamless acceleration, a sport mode and a ‘tiptronic’ manually-selectable option mean the dual-clutch gearbox can only serve to enhance the driving experience. The brief hilly section we drove over proved that the Passat was quite capable in the twisties as well. Turn into a corner and the Passat manages the change in centre of mass well, despite its massive size. Body roll is firmly restrained, grip is tenacious and it changes direction willingly. The electric steering, however, makes this an inert and uninspiring drive. There really isn’t that much feel in the system and this means you are not as relaxed or as confident as you could be behind the wheel. And don’t expect the Passat to drive anywhere near as well as the rear-wheel-drive BMW 3-Series or even the Mercedes C-Class; these cars are in another league altogether.
Design and Styling
Refinement is a multi-faceted discipline. At its core lie sciences allied to making things smoother, more silent and more sophisticated. It’s all about the appeasement of the senses: touch, sight and hearing. The Passat is acquitting itself quite nicely in this respect. The styling of the airy cabin exudes a mature charm, there is a certain heftiness about the interiors and refinement on the move is very impressive. There is no road noise or roar from the tyres, wind noise around the nose and lower body is equally hushed and overall stability is solid. It is like you’re in a silent movie of sorts.
The design starts out sleek and low, but bulges out towards the rear. The curved roof remains, but VW’s traditional big wheel arches are gone. A key part of the car’s new identity is the wide, V-shaped Volkswagen grille, which on this car is finished in attractive chrome. Also providing a unique identity are the headlamps that successfully merge circular and rectangular themes, with deep-set lighting elements giving the car an almost eagle-like piercing stare. The rear lamps also incorporate the circle-within-a-rectangle theme and they are adorned with high-tech LED lighting units. Various elements light up in different hues as required; say red for braking and then orange when you turn. The Passat’s tight-fitting skin, sharp swage line and the manner in which the various surfaces have been blended together in the boot region make it feel very modern. Still, there’s a certain coldness and aloofness to the design.
Where the Passat truly excels is in the area of comfort. The front seats are large and supportive, with plenty of leg and shoulder room, and this allows you to stretch out and relax. The rear seats are just as impressive. Indian customers are sure to love the deeply-contoured profile, the extra thigh support from the long seat cushion and perfectly-inclined backrest. While seat comfort is very good, the Passat does not feel as wide as an Accord or Camry, and legroom is a little short. What you do get however is the solid Volkswagen build, high quality door pads and rear air-conditioning vents.
The design of the dash is layered and very interesting. The instrument cluster is similar in concept to that seen on the Audi A8, where individual dials and displays are sunk directly into the dash and the top-of-the-line version shown here comes with satin-finished metal and steering wheel-mounted buttons as well. However, the build quality and robustness of some of the plastics is not up to VW’s normal standards. Expect the top-end versions to come fully-loaded, with powered seats, multiple airbags, ESP and sunroofs.
Volkswagen plans to launch three trim variants in the Indian market. These variants will cover the entire range from fabric seats, basic features and manual gearboxes to fully-loaded cars with leather upholstery, a raft of features and the DSG auto ‘box as well. Volkswagen isn’t talking prices yet, but has hinted that the Passat will be priced somewhere in the Rs 19-24 lakh range. For your money you will get a thoroughly engineered, full-sized diesel saloon that offers class-leading comfort, performance and safety. The Passat may not have the same character and charm as a BMW or an Audi and it may not be in the same league dynamically. Apply cold logic and it’s an easy call. If you’re looking for a large, well-engineered diesel saloon and want a fair dose of comfort and luxury to go with it, your search ends here.
Source :
Autocar India