HomeCar ReviewsNew VW Passat Review - 2.0 litre TDI Turbo Diesel with DSG

New VW Passat Review – 2.0 litre TDI Turbo Diesel with DSG

Introduction

The latest, eight-generation, Passat is finally in India and is available in a price bracket of Rs 30 lakh to Rs 33 lakh. Internationally acclaimed for its comfortable cabin, lots of passenger room and efficient motors, the India-spec model comes with a powerful 2.0-litre TDI Turbo Diesel engine with a DSG transmission.

This is the second product from VW India, after the Tiguan SUV, to be based on the excellent MQB-platform. Well, premium sedan haven’t been doing too well on the sales charts but there’s definitely a niche market of large premium sedans, slotted pretty close to entry-level products to the mighty German trio of Audi, BMW, and Mercedes.

So, basically, the new Passat will rival not only the likes of Toyota Camry but also cars like the Mercedes CLA (on price). Which brings us to two not-so-distant cousins of this new model – the Skoda Superb and the Audi A3. While the former offers a lot of real estate the latter enjoys a really high brand value.

However, what sets the new Passat apart is a pretty attractive price tag and a long list of features. Of course, an understated but distinctly Teutonic design, a potent engine, and a comfortable cabin are an additional bonus. We’ll describe all the virtues in our new Volkswagen Passat Test Drive Review here.

Exteriors

Well, the new Passat isn’t a really thrilling car to look at. While some might even find it to be a bit dull, the Passat’s clientele will likely appreciate the understated elegance on offer. The new Passat gets a pretty impressive fascia that is characterized by a wide chrome-plated grille. The front grille gets four chrome bars that bend slightly inward towards the headlights, thereby forming a slightly trapezoid shape.

Just above the grille and the headlamps, there’s another chrome strip that runs along the entire width of the front-end. This chrome bar is laterally connected with a clearly defined shoulder line. The wide grille, sleek headlamps and some diagonal surfaces come together to form a striking and distinctly Volkswagen front-end.

The side profile of the new Passat is characterized by the area between the beltline, running along the window sill, and the strong shoulder line, running at the height of the door handles. It is in this section that the creases and the edges come together to form a very dynamic, and an almost sportscar-like, C-pillar. Furthermore, the new Passat gets multi-spoke alloy wheels that enhance the classiness of the design.

At the rear, the taillamps have been designed to be wide and sleek to further accentuate the width of the new model. It is at the crease beneath the taillamps that the body draws inward. Basically, the upper part of the rear body protrudes more above the rear bumper than below it. This interesting play of sheetmetal lends a distinct character to the Passat’s posterior.

Interiors

The interior of the new VW Passat is built up of high quality, dark-coloured materials and boasts an excellent fit and finish. The dashboard gets matte-finished wood inserts to keep things classy. There’s also some piano black trim around the infotainment unit to further spruce up the dashboard. As expected from a modern day German sedan in this segment, the overall quality levels are best-in-class and won’t give you any reason to complain.

World over, the Passat has won enough accolades for its comfortable cabin and the latest generation model takes the experience a notch higher. The seats are extremely supportive and the front ones offer electric adjustments along with the heating function. The driver’s chair also gets memory to save the adjustments and a massage feature. There’s generous leg-space, both at the front and the rear.

However, the Passat still can’t beat the Limo-like Superb in this department. The boot, at 586-litres, is fairly large and can hold plenty of luggage. There’s also a 60:40 split folding feature for the rear seat that can boost the boot space by a considerable margin.

Features

The new generation Passat offers a really very long list of features. These include-

Heated Front Seats
Driver’s Seat Adjustment Memory
Massage Feature for Driver’s Seat
Nine airbags
ABS
ESC
Automatic parking
Tyre pressure monitoring system
Three-zone climate control system
Touchscreen Infotainment Unit
Apple CarPlay
Android Auto
USB, Aux and Bluetooth
360-degree Camera
Electric Front Seats Adjustment
Electric rear sunshade
Electric sunroof

Driving Dynamics & Engine

For now, the new Passat will be sold in India with just one engine and transmission option – a 2.0-litre TDI Turbocharged Diesel engine with a DSG transmission. The engine pumps out a maximum power output of 175 bhp along with a peak torque of 350 Nm. The world-class oil burner starts producing the peak torque as low as 1,500 RPM and continues to offer it till 3,500 RPM. The excellent DGS transmission is a six-speed unit and offers well spaced out gear ratios. The new Volkswagen Passat has an ARAI-tested fuel efficiency of 17.42 kmpl.

The power delivery is pretty linear almost throughout the rev range. The suspension setup is perfect for Indian roads. It takes the uneven surface in its stride with quite ease and offers a smooth ride on highways. NVH levels are brilliant and you don’t hear a thing from the outside world, including the noisy diesel motor.

For the driver, there is enough punch in the engine to drive the car like an enthusiast, at the flick of his finger, thanks to the steering mounted paddle shifters. The steering is precise and offers good input, making handling precise. Brakes offer a good bite and bring this huge car to stop in impressive time.

First Look Video

New VW Passat First Drive

New VW Passat | First Drive (HD)

Posted by RushLane on Thursday, 14 December 2017

Verdict

New generation Passat is nothing but the new Audi A6 underneath. Built on the same platform, the new Passat comes with all bells and whistles, and that too at a fraction of a price. Volkswagen claims that in this car, is simply perfect. Well, we know that no car is perfect. But, the new Passat is definitely not far away from being perfect.

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