Low-cost, high-quality family motoring
The Passat was given a major freshening-up at the start of 2011, with new styling and significant technical updates. The result was almost as good as a whole new launch and took it right to the forefront of the family car market.
The base-spec S has alloys, air-con and a stereo that knows what an iPod is. You can add most of the options you might want, too, like cruise, parking sensors and metallic paint, all at sensible prices. The SE is priced so close to it, however, its almost as if VW is trying to convince you it would be churlish not to trade up. It has better quality seats as standard: these alone are worth the extra money, and you get a variety of other handy add-ons as well. At the top of the range, the Sport model adds sat-nav as well as sports seats and lowered suspension for better handling. Again, theres not a huge gap in price (around £1500 compared to the SE), but the biggest draw here is that the most powerful petrol and diesel engines in the range are exclusive to this model.
These include the 2.0 TSI, whose 210 bhp makes a quick car out of the Passat. The most powerful version of the 2.0 TDI diesel isnt far behind it, though, and as youd expect its much more frugal. Both of these are available in manual or DSG auto form, as is almost everything in the Passat range. That means 1.4 and 1.8 TSI petrols and a more modest version of the 2.0 TDI. In fact, the only engine without an auto option is the 1.6 TDI we drove. All but the 1.8 and 2.0 TSI units come with a range of energy-saving features like regenerative braking and a start/stop function for the engine, as well as a shift indicator telling you when to change gear for optimum efficiency.
Each model has its own trim; in the SE we tested, it was comfortable but very stout and felt like it would wear well. The seats are very well shaped to hold you in place. They can feel a little clingy to start with, but after the odd five hours on board you get out without any aches or pains. Theres a really solid, well crafted feel to the materials inside, and the dash is very logically laid out. The cabins styling has a slightly austere air to it, though, that makes it feel a little unexciting. Going back to those seats, their huge range of adjustment means you wont struggle to get comfortable though the person behind you might if youre very tall. A sloping roofline means the back seats arent great for adults in general, but they drop down to swallow mighty volumes of luggage.
The 1.6 TDI is hardly a screamer, but it still pulls strongly in mid-range and lets you drive briskly enough. You have to work it to get moving, and its hesitant when you ask it to build up speed on the motorway, but its amazing just how lively such an economical engine can be. The other units in the range make the Passat much faster, and if thats what you want it has the handling to match, with sharp steering and lots of grip. The Sport model with its lowered suspension will be more engaging still. Its brakes are very good, too, though its ride can get bumpy on poor roads and theres a level of body roll in fast corners that wont have your passengers thanking you for trying to impress them with your driving skills. But the cabin is extremely quiet, making for as relaxed a drive as you want.
Assuming you want your Passat to be a family car or long-distance mile muncher, the 1.6 TDI is very hard to fault. It packs enough of a punch to be fun, but where it really scores is in the economy it brings to owning what is, after all, a big, roomy car. With 74.3 mpg on a run and a gold star from the taxman on emissions, the Passat we tested simply makes sense. Insurance costs make this engine a better bet than ever, too. There was a niggling blandness to our Passat that doesnt exist in more exotic versions of the same car. To spend any amount of time behind the wheel, however, is to appreciate its competence at almost everything.
