Last week the Volkswagen Passat was crowned the European Car of the Year on the eve of the Geneva Motor Show. The Passat came in head and shoulders ahead of all of its competition. Its nearest competitor was Citroen with C4 Cactus which came in with 92 points below. The Passat is proving very popular on the Irish market. It made it into the top five most-registered cars here in February (according to SIMI statistics) and somehow I wouldn’t be overly surprised if March was to come back with the same results.
A couple of weeks ago I was handed the keys of a shiny new Volkswagen Passat (Highline trim) to test drive. My route was the daily school and work run as well as a return trip to Oranmore in Galway. During this drive I could see for myself many of the reasons why I would have agreed with the European Car of the Year jury.
Outside
I asked a lot of people (friends, colleagues and a few starngers) what they thought about the aesthetics of this car and for the most part their response was extremely positive. The lines on the exterior of this machine are so well etched. They are presented with excellent German preciseness. The sportier grille, chrome detailing and the lower stance of this machine give it a more dynamic look than the outgoing model.
Inside
The interior of the model I tested was of a very high quality. There were no cheap looking plastics thrown in here and the heated leather seats were about as comfortable as you can get. The dash won’t be for everyone, but I like it. One or two of the people I asked about it said that they found it to be too straight. Personally I liked it for its retro-future look. The clock sits nicely towards the top of the dash. I had the Highline trim, which means that I was blinded by the best the manufacturer had to offer. In terms of infotainment the Passat offers a 6.5” touch screen with Bluetooth connectivity and MirrorLink technology.
Drive and engine
What I tested had a 2.0 litre TDI engine and offered 150hp. The Passat offers a comfortable and reassuring drive. The car deals with bumps very well and it steered responsively on the routes I used.
If I was to complain about anything it would be that the engine is loud and it doesn’t help that a lot of road noise gets into the car. The road noise could be on account of the size of the wheels (18” Dartford alloy wheels - which are optional extras). Whatever the reasoning, I did find it to be loud enough.
The new Volkswagen Passat is a good choice for European Car of the Year. The competition comes mainly from the Mazda6, the new Ford Mondeo and of course from Opel with the Insignia. All of these cars offer nice driving and it’s a brilliantly-competitive segment to be in. The Passat’s changes however have made it slightly more upmarket and I would begin to wonder if potential buyers will switch from the BMW 3 series or the Audi A4. In terms of price the Highline trim with the engine I had starts at in and around €35,000. An entry level 1.4 litre TSI Passat will cost you €28,045.
