Auto Express – July 30, 2019

100 SpecialIssue http://www.autoexpress.co.uk

Contacts

Official

http://www.volkswagen.co.uk

Forums

http://www.ukpassats.co.uk

volkswagenforum.com

http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk

FROM£7,500VW’s stalwart has stood the testoftime and Mk8version makesagreat used buy

Interior

VWinteriorsaredesignedforeaseofuseratherthan

creativeflair,andthePassatisnodifferent.There

arefirst-ratematerialsthroughout,plentyofstandard

equipmentandlotsofheadandlegroomforrear-seat

passengers.Bootspaceisgood,too,at586litresforthe

saloon,andSEcarsandabovegetaload-throughfacility.

TheEstatecanstow650or1,780litres(seatsup/down).

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Inassociationwith

BUYER’SGUIDE: Volkswagen Pass

THEPassatfirstjoinedVolkswagen’s

modelrangewaybackin1973,whenitwas

offeredonlywithpetrolengines.Itwas

availableinFastback,saloonandEstate

forms,andthelargefamilycarsoldalongside

theBeetle,withtheGolfandPoloarriving

soonafterwards.SincethenVWhaslaunched

sevengenerationsofPassat,eachsaferand

moreefficient,spacious,comfortableand

technologicallyadvancedthanthelast.

IttookawhileforthePassattotakeoffin

theUKbut,bythetimethefourth-generation

modelarrivedin1997,ithadbecomeafleet

favourite.OncetheMk8(codenamedB8)

wasintroducedin2015,thePassathad

becomeastapleproductforprivatebuyers

andcompanycardriversnationwide.

History

THEMk8PassathitUKroadsinJanuary

2015,pricedfrom£22,215.Buyerscould

chooseasaloonorEstate,butonlydiesel

engineswereofferedinitially,in1.6or

2.0-litreforms.Theformerwasavailable

inultra-frugalBlueMotionguisefrom

June2015,ratedatjust95g/kmofCO 2.

Amonthlater,thechunkyfour-wheel-drive

AlltrackEstatereachedshowrooms.

InOctober2015,aGTEarrivedinsaloon

andEstateforms.Thiswaspoweredbya

petrol/electricplug-inhybridpowertrain

witha1.4TSIpetrolengineatitsheartand

aclaimed31-mileelectric-onlyrange.

SEBusinesstrimwasaddedinDecember

2015.Then,inJuly2017,threepetrol

enginesjoinedtherange:1.4TSI,1.8TSI

and2.0TSI,allwithmanualorautoboxes.

Whichone?

MOREthanhalf(57%)ofthePassatssold

intheUKareEstates,soyou’llhaveplenty

ofchoiceifyou’relookingforaload-lugging

familycar.Mostaredieselsand,while

the1.6TDIisfineifyou’reinnohurry,

the2.0TDIisusefullymoremuscular.

Thedaysofthepoverty-specPassatare

over,witheventheentry-levelStrimgetting

16-inchalloywheels,acooledglovebox,

DABradio,a6.5-inchtouchscreendisplay,

aneight-speakerstereo,air-conandelectric

windows.SEhas17-inchalloys,adaptive

cruisecontrolplusautolightsandwipers.

SEBusinessfeaturessat-nav,power-fold

doormirrorsandprivacyglass,whilethe

GThas18-inchwheels,heatedleatherand

Alcantaraseats,andtri-zoneclimatecontrol.

R-Lineaddssportycosmeticenhancements.

Alternatives

WITHitssemi-premiumstatus,thePassat

isupagainstawidearrayoftalentedrivals,

perhapstheclosestofwhicharetheVolvo

S60andV60.Similarlypriced,ultra-safe

andwellequipped,theVolvoisaslightly

left-fieldchoicebutstillworthacloserlook.

OtherobviousrivalsincludetheAudiA4,

BMW3SeriesandMercedesC-Class,all

RichardDredge

ofwhichcomeinsaloonandestateforms

withexcellentpetrolanddieselengines.

TheMazda6isanothertoughadversary,

thankstoitssmartstyling,excellent

dynamicsandappealinginterior,alongwith

decentequipmentandsuperbbuildquality

atreasonableprices.TheFordMondeo,

Hyundaii40,SkodaOctavia/Superband

VauxhallInsigniaarealsohardtobeat.All

offerhatchbackorestatepracticalitywith

lashingsofequipmentandatkeenprices.

Verdict

FORyearsthePassathasbeenastaple

partofVW’sline-up,andintheUKit’s

thebrand’sthirdmostpopularmodel

aftertheGolfandPolohatchbacks.

ThePassatisn’tacarthatyoubuywith

yourheart,butitmakessenseonsomany

levelsthatit’shardtoignore.Spacious,

practical,frugal,wellequippedandeasy

tolivewith,it’salsogoodtodriveand

hasreasonablystrongresalevalues.

Itwon’tmakeyourheartbeatfasterbut,

ifyou’relookingforsafeandcomfortable

familytransport,thenlooknofurther.

SparewheelMost

Passatscomewithasteelspace-saver

sparewheel,buttheGT-specification

carisfittedwithafull-sizealloyspare.

FillingupYoucan’tputthe

wrongfuelinyourPassat;amisfuel

preventiondeviceisfittedtoeveryone

ofthecars,regardlessoftrimlevel.

EquipmentVolkswagen

upgradedthePassatinJanuary2018,

withallcarsintherangebenefittingfrom

anextrahelpingofstandardequipment.

Runningcosts

60-67mpg (2.0TDI 140)

£86 fill-up

Performance

0-62mph/top speed

9.8seconds/132mph

CO 2 /tax

106-123g/km (2.0TDI 140)

£20-£125

has stood the testoftime and Mk8version makesagreat used buy

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fi dMk8 ik db