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Our Score:
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Styling & Design
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Score:
3/10
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Not one of Volkswagen’s best designs, it must be said. It’s badly proportioned and has featureless sheet metal with dreary detailing around the lights and glass house. Curiously, the wagon is less cumbersome and better looking overall while the upcoming CC model is surprisingly sexy.
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Engine Spec
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Score:
7/10
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The Passat's engine range is growing, with the super- and turbo-charged 122hp 1.4 TSI offering a tempting alternative to the base 115hp 1.6. The 105bhp 1.9 TDi is loud and rough compared to the 140/170hp 2.0 TDi and is best avoided. New 1.8T is a cracker, as is the 200bhp 2.0T.
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Performance
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Score:
7/10
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The base 1.6 is just quick enough (0-100km/h in 11.4s) but 1.4 TSI is a second quicker while the 2.0 is a second quicker again. The 1.9 TDi is sluggish (12.1) but the 2.0 TDis are quick, if expensive. The 2.0T (7.7) and 170hp 2.0 TDi (8.8) are very fast while the new 1.8T (8.6) is a fine mid-ranger.
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Ride & Handling
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Score:
7/10
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The Passat doesn’t exactly blow the doors off its rivals in terms of dynamics. The steering is precise but a bit vague, while body control is rather relaxed, making it a predictable if unexciting steer. The ride is excellent, though, so it’s a great mile muncher.
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Interior & Ergonomics
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Score:
8/10
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Somehow, the Passat interior manages to be even better than the interiors of the Golf and Jetta. Everything is exactly where you expect it to be and it’s so simple to use, though it’s not the most enthralling dashboard in the world. It could use more visual pizazz, but functionally it’s flawless.
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Space & Practicality
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Score:
9/10
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Passats have always been vast, but the new car feels like it’s from a class above. The rear seats are ridiculously comfortable, the boot is enormous, and there are plenty of storage nooks in and around the dashboard. CC model is limited to four seats and has lower roof but is still a roomy car.
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Safety
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Score:
8/10
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The Passat has just about everything you’d expect in this class, including ESP, curtain and side airbags, ISOFIX, and three 3-point rear seat belts and three rear headrests. However, it doesn’t offer knee airbags, and rear side airbags are optional.
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Value & Running Costs
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Score:
6/10
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With a few well-chosen options (alloys, front armrest, leather steering) the base Passat represents a brilliant package. It’s economical and cheaper to run than big-engined siblings, which are comparatively very costly. For example, the 1.9 TDi is €4K, and 2.0 TDi almost €9K, more expensive!
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Quality & Refinement
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Score:
9/10 |
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The newest VW is also the best, in terms of quality and refinement. The Passat isolates occupants from even the roughest road surfaces, with very little wind or engine noise intrusion. It also feels better made than any other VW, feeling more like an executive saloon than a family car.
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Equipment
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Score:
7/10
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Keyless go, one-touch electric front windows and air conditioning are fitted to all models, with desirable options like a leather steering wheel or front armrest available cheaply on even the base model. Ritzier models add frills, but even the base has all you could really need.
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Bad
Costly
dreary
no fireball.
Good
Spacious
comfortable
solid.
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