New Volkswagen Passat: First Drive

The Passat has been around for 37 years, and during this tenure, it has managed to garner a worldwide reputation for being a car that is comfortable, fast, efficient and fun to drive. It is not just coincidence or sheer luck that Volkswagen has managed to produce over 15 million Passats till date; the figure stands as a testament to the quality of the product and is a definite statement of its popularity globally. So, when it came to developing the 7th generation Passat, Volkswagen had more than just a new car to build. The new car not only has to be better than its predecessor, it also has the challenge of taking the brand to new echelons.

NEW PASSAT : GOA DRIVE 

The first thing that stands out about the new Passat is its looks. Stylish, sleek and more importantly, it now configures to the design DNA of the Volkswagen family. The straight lines and cleanly structured surfaces lend an element of subtle luxury to the car which has been carried out in order to build a link to the Phaeton, Volkswagen's high end luxury sedan, thereby hoping for a rub off effect on the Passat. The car has a low profile and a sense of 'width' which is associated with cars from a higher segment. Best described as crisp styling, the side profile also boasts of broad wheel arches and two contour lines that run along the body. The rear doesn't have the wedge shape of the Passat's predecessor and the new styling is smoother and more elegant which works at making the rear appear visually lower and thus adds to the 'width' element spoken about earlier. Complimenting the entire package are the rear LED lights which work their magic to bring the back alive. The new Passat may share its looks with the Phaeton and have a trickle down effect all the way to the Vento and Polo, but one thing is certain, the new Passat is a very good looking car.

The new Volkswagen Passat

The interiors are not that far behind either. Open the doors and the inside is reminiscent of the outgoing model, however the touch and feel is rather different. The new Passat comes fitted with high quality materials from the door panels all the way to the seat trim. Adding to the glamour quotient and something that will definitely gel well with the Indian customer is the generous dosage of chrome on the interiors. As far as accessories go, the Passat packs it all; in fact there is even an option to go for massage seats! Having said that, it still remains to be seen what trim level will finally be offered in India, and judging by the need to keep the Passat in the Rs 25-30 lakh price range, a number of changes are definitely expected, but overall quality will be on the higher side.

Volkswagen has added a number of gizmos to the new Passat as well. Some of them are in the realm of increased safety and others are just for sheer convenience. There are radars and cameras housed behind the large VW logos on the front and rear respectively and these help the car 'see' things in its way. The city emergency braking function allows the Passat to alert the driver and actually apply the brake automatically in the event of a foreseen collision. The car also boasts of fatigue detection in case the driver nods off at the wheel and the Dynamic Light Assist system that controls the headlights to offer optimum lighting as well as automatically adjust in the case of oncoming traffic so as not to blind the oncoming driver. As far as convenience is concerned, the Passat features the ultra cool Park Assist system which allows one to either parallel park next to a curb or park between two cars at the simple touch of a button-all the driver has to do is press the accelerator and the car will steer itself into place! Another convenient feature is the Easy Open Boot, which allows the owner to just swing a leg under the rear bumper and viola the boot pops open. Again, it's a question of what features will make it to the final list for India, but we can keep our fingers crossed for some of these goodies.

The drive in the new Passat also proved to be a revelation for there is a stark difference between the new car and its predecessor. Despite sharing the same platform with its predecessor, the new car handles a lot better. Its suspension has also been reworked to negotiate rough roads and this will definitely be a boon for Indian drivers. Incidentally Volkswagen has worked hard at controlling the NVH levels. The new car not only has better sealing in order to cut out road noise from the tyres, it also boasts of an added acoustic film to the front windscreen in order to cut out exterior noise. Owners have the option to opt for this film on the front side windows as well.

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As far as engines are concerned, I should mention that internationally the Passat is offered with a total of ten engine options! Now not all ten will come to India and though the engines for India have not been announced officially, we are betting that the following two engines will make their way to our shores. The first engine would come from the petrol family, namely the 1.8TSI that delivers 160PS at 5,000 rpm and makes a decent 250Nm of torque between 1500 and 4200 rpm. The second choice would be the 2.0 liter turbo diesel motor that churns out a healthy 140 PS at 4200rpm and generates a healthy 320Nm of torque at1750 rpm. There is a small chance that Volkswagen might go with a more powerful version of the 2.0 liter diesel that generates 170PS at 4200 rpm and churns out a slightly more aggressive 350Nm of torque between 1750 and 2500 rpm. Regardless of engine option, the Passat will feature a six speed DSG automatic box.

The final product for India remains to be seen, however what has been shared with us so far is definitely a revelation as to what the new Passat is. Volkswagen has obviously tweaked the car in all the areas that needed the tweaking and the end result is a precision model with a twist of James Bond attitude. It’s luxurious, cool and definitely a car that has the potential to redefine the entry level luxury segment.