What they said when the Volkswagen Passat was new… (May 31 2005)
IN the autumn of 1996, Volkswagen set the motoring world talking with the introduction of the striking new Passat.
It was the fifth generation of the mid-sized family car first launched in 1973 and it certainly set a new benchmark for interior quality. In short, it was a hard act to follow.
From June 24, the sixth generation Passat takes up the baton, aiming to continue the good work of its predecessor by raising standards even further in the heavily populated family car/repmobile sector.
Bigger and better than the outgoing model and priced from under £15,000, the new Passat will be going head-to-head with the likes of Ford's Mondeo, the Vauxhall Vectra and Peugeot 407 with Volkswagen targeting a UK sales figure of around 32,000 in a full year - split up into 19,000 saloons and 13,000 estate cars which are due on stream this November.
From launch, a quartet of engines will be available - 1.6-litre FSI 113bhp and two-litre FSI 148bhp petrol, plus diesel power represented by 1.9-litre 103bhp TDI and two-litre TDI 138bhp.
In addition, VW promises two-litre TDI 168bhp, two-litre T-FSI 198bhp and 3.2-litre FSI V6 248bhp engines to follow by the end of this year while six-speed manual and six-speed automatic transmission systems are offered for all models and the innovative clutchless Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) is also an option for the two-litre diesel derivative.
Trim levels of S, SE, Sport and SEL are generous, with the entry level 1.6 FSI S model including the likes of semi automatic air con, electric front windows, electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors, four-speaker sound system with CD and the rest.
Undercutting its predecessor by £175, this base model weighs in at a hugely competitive £14,995 and its value for money stance is further enhanced by the standard issue ABS braking with Brake Assist and Electronic Brake Force Distribution, Electronic Stabilisation Programme and a sextet of airbags.
Whichever variant you plump for, the new Passat has quality in spades both inside and out.
While the profile is not too divorced from the outgoing model, styling cues with more than a hint of VW's Phaeton luxury limo and neatly sculpted lines down the flanks linking eye-catching lighting set-ups both front and rear, contribute to a bold, handsome silhouette which turned more than a few heads during the test drive.
Although I preferred the brushed aluminium trim to the wood inserts featured on some models, fine build quality shines through in a superbly crafted, generously roomy cabin within which both the fabrics and plastics have that expensive look and feel.
All models feature a host of storage solutions, even a slot for your brolly, and the boot is huge, boasting 485 cubic litres of stowage area.
There are also a number of technological introductions at which to marvel including an electronic parking brake and a new slant on the starting and locking system.
On the road, the 1.6 FSI petrol has much to appeal to the family driver, achieving the 0-62mph dash in a quite conservative but adequate 11.4 seconds.
But, work the six-speed close ratio manual gearbox and the 113bhp power source does give a quite frisky performance and, although protesting a little vociferously when leaned on hard, it's an agreeable enough cruising companion.
Promising 148bhp at 6,000rpm and stacks of mid-range pulling power is the two-litre FSI petrol-powered Passat, for which you will be asked £16,410 if you wish to drive it off from a showroom near you in June.
Mated to a slick-slotting six-speed manual gearbox, this is an enthusiastic engine which spins sweetly and in pretty refined fashion with the power to take you from 0-62mph in 9.4 seconds, en route to a top speed of 132mph, while returning around 32mpg over the combined driving cycle.
However, these are very much diesel days and for the still unconverted, the undoubted star of the new Passat line-up is the two-litre 138bhp diesel which ticks all the right boxes when it comes to performance, economy, CO2 emission levels and residuals.
Mated to a smooth-shifting six-speed manual gearbox, this 138bhp TDI in S trim for £17,145 and SE costing £18,405, is expected by VW to prove the most popular model for fleet buyers. It justifies this faith with a punchy, refined performance, being capable of 0-62mph in under 10 seconds while promising a return of around 47mpg.
While not exactly your sport saloon, the new Passat is an impressive performer when it comes to handling dynamics. The car is much firmer and more together than its predecessor, maintaining its composure in fast cornering thanks to loads of grip and good torsional control.
Take to the motorway and the Passat flips over the coin to present a different face to its occupants and is a really refined and smooth operator when in the cruise.
Overall, this is another production of the highest order from the Wolfsburg carmaker.
The new Passat shines through with typically impeccable Volkswagen quality very much in evidence. It's well kitted out, competitively priced and has the looks to make a very big impression in the marketplace.
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