VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 2.0 TDI 4MOTION

Are you the sort of person who enjoys the finer things in life, but likes to keep things low-profile? If so, I guess you’d like a car that doesn’t reflect your 9-digit bank Balance either. And, that doesn’t mean that it should be lacking in tech or creature comforts. So, if you’re looking for a car that meets the above mentioned requirements, I think you’ll like this car.

This, the new Volkswagen Passat, packs luxury, opulence and techno-wizardry in a subtle, understated fashion. Built on the VW Group’s Modular Transverse Matrix (MQB) platform, it will be VW’s flagship in India. The new Passat gets a clean design, one that makes it instantly recognizable as a VW, but also manages to distinguish it from other saloons in the family.

If you’re using measuring tape, you will notice that it’s almost as long as the previous gen car. The width has increased by a centimetre, and roof height has dropped by a centimetre-and-a-half. But the biggest change is with the wheelbase, which is a staggering 7.9 centimetres more than the outgoing model. This has helped increase interior space, but more on that later.

Unlike the older design, which was a bit too boxy, the new one looks a lot sleeker. The design is not flashy in any way, but it looks attractive. I like the chrome strip that runs all the way from one headlight to the other, giving the impression that the grille and headlight are a single unit. The rear, on the other hand, sports a more evolutionary design, with horizontally-placed tail-lights, and a big VW badge at the back.

To add a dash of sportiness, the Passat can also be ordered with an R-Line package. Apart from the R-Line badge on the grille, you also get sculpted bumpers front and back, and side skirts. Also, you can have alloys ranging between 17- to 19-inches. The 19s look brilliant, but in India, you may have to run to the chiropractor after a few hundred kilometers, thanks to our roads. Though the Passat is headed to India, we’re not sure if the R-Line package will be on offer, as it would drive up the car’s price by a fair bit.

The car’s interior has that sophisticated, no-nonsense German look and feel to it. The instrument cluster is all-digital, so you can change the layout according to your needs. If navigation is a priority, the instrument cluster will give it pride of place. The speedo and rev counter will be pushed to the far ends of the screen, but they’re still legible. The dashboard looks sophisticated, as you would expect from a German saloon. I quite like the single air-conditioning vent that runs the length of the dashboard.

With the lengthened wheelbase, interior space has increased by 3.3 centimetres. This has freed up space at the rear. There’s enough head and shoulder room for three persons to be seated comfortably. The only problem being the high transmission tunnel, which robs the person seated in the middle of leg space. The boot has grown as well: by 21 litres, to be precise. Now, you get 586 litres of
luggage space, so your in-laws will never complain about space ever again.

The Passat that I drove recently is powered by a 2.0-litre, twin-turbo TDI motor that makes 236bhp, and a massive 500Nm of torque (that’s 60Nm more than the Porsche 911 Carerra 4S). Also available is a single turbo version of the same engine on the front-wheel drive variants in two states of tune: 148bhp and 187bhp. All that torque would be a bit too much for the front wheels to handle all by themselves, so, the twin-turbo variant is equipped with VW’s ‘4Motion’ all-wheel drive (AWD) system. This system distributes power to all four wheels via a highly-efficient 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox (DSG). With an 85 kg weight reduction compared to the older car, the new Passat is
agile, and good to Mother Nature, too.

The 2.0-litre diesel motor is responsive, but it never feels like it’s in a rush. The shifts from the DSG are smooth, and in regular driving, the transmission helps maximise efficiency.  If you want to take matters into your own hands, there’s a manual mode, too. As with many cars today, you can choose between the stick shift and the paddle shifts. And, around winding roads, it’s good fun to use the manual shifter. Want things to be a bit more with-it? Switch to Sport mode. Here, the gears are held for longer, and you can hear the otherwise-silent 4-pot motor growl.

Let’s put it this way: the Passat is fast enough for your chauffeur to get you to your next meeting in time. But it manages to do it with such poise that you can still sip your coffee in the back seat without having to unintentionally share it with your Armani.

On the highway, it can do 150 kph all day without making a fuss. VW claims that top speed is around 238 kph, but I’m not too keen on verifying that claim myself. When driving this car, I am happy to sail along the freeway, and not try and get myself a speeding ticket.

Aiding that poise on the move is the suspension setup. It offers a good ride on most road surfaces. I think the suspension will be softened a touch before the model is shipped to our shores.

At this point, you’d expect me to tell you that the handling is razor-sharp. But actually, it feels just about okay taking a corner not too exciting, but not too dull either. There’s a bit of body roll (thanks to the soft suspension), and the AWD transfers power to the rears to get you out of the corner smoothly.

The brakes on the Passat are progressive. Not that you will ever push the envelope in this car, but, in case you do, the brakes are more than adequate for the job.

If that doesn’t impress you, then the Passat has a few more tricks up its sleeve. Remember the older Passat that could parallel-park all on its own? Well, this one goes one better, as it can drive or reverse itself into a parking spot. And just in case the self-parking thing freaks you out, the reverse camera enables you to keep a tab on proceedings. By 2020, the Passat may even be able to drive off on its own and find a parking spot for itself. If it could successfully find one in South Mumbai, and if  I have the money, I will buy one in a heartbeat.

When will the new Passat come to India? It should be some time next year, though in all probability, the four-wheel-drive 4Motion system will be ditched to keep costs in check. For what this top-of-the-line car has to offer, I’m guessing prices should hover around `35 lakh (on-road).

The new Passat’s a car that’s discreet, yet luxurious enough for most. Best of all, it will not leave too big a dent on that 9-digit bank balance. It is much better than the car that it will replace in every possible way. It looks quite good, drives well and has a host of electronics on board. It not only offers features that the competition doesn’t, but you might not find these features in cars that cost even twice as much.