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36 TOPCAR.CO.ZA|January 2016FIRST DRIVES.The push for poshIf you’re named after a trade wind then changing tack isprobably the best way forward. ByWayneBattyBACK INTHE1990s families ofplanet Earth drove Mondeo,Accord, Camry and Passat.Sensible, affordable and spac ious,these were the real volume playersof the global sedan market , easily outsellingcompact executive offerings from Germany’smorepremium brands. Since then buyingpatterns have shifted dramatically the worldover. It has beenno different in SA where theCamry is now just a memory, the Accord hasturned all niche Yank on us and theMondeo’s two disapp earing acts will nothave done the handsome Fusion any favours.This, along with th e popularity of crossoverSUVs and increasingly image-consciousconsumers has put the skids on traditionalvolume brand sedan sales leaving the old,perennial ly underrated Passat lang uishingamong the also-rans. What to do, what to do?If premium is the new volume then headingupmarket would seem the only viablesurvival stra tegy. So in the good old spirit ofadapt or die, Volkswagen looked to the starsand set its sigh ts on a certain three-pointedone. Apparently. Is th e all-new, eigh th-generation Passat able to cruise with th e bigships? Time to find out.You know within the first few metres offorward motion that this new Passat is aquality machine. If refinement was actuallymeasured in spades, there wouldn’t be``````enough space in the legendary boot to fitthem all. You feel it in the suspension, thewhispering engine at idle and the uncannilyquiet cabin at speed. You can see it in thebuild and design of the interior too.Surethere’s not the sweeping architecture of theC-Class or the intense sportiness of the 3Series but the beautifully slim dash flauntsits clean lines and fine details with a swaggernot seen since the Phaeton. Having justrecently driven the excellent new Audi A4,there’s no doubtVWhas taken notes from itsIngolstadt-based co usins here. This alsomeans you can order your new Passat withenough mind-blowing kit to well, blow theminds of jaded middle managers everywhere.Want traffic monitoring radar-based cruisecontrolwith automatic emer gency braking?Tick the box marked ACC. Fond of aSwedish knead? Opt for 12-way electric frontseat s with a massage function for the driver.Bored with conventional in strument dial s?Active Info Display repl aces them with aconfigurable 12.3-inch screen that will tur nyour MD green, unless he’s just bought anAudi Q7. You can even get continuouslyvariable dampers (DCC), though only withthe 2.0TSI. The list goes on: fatiguedetection, head-up display, Dynaudio sound,self-steering park assist, LEDs all ro und,dynamic cornering lights and a poweredboot. Of course there’s plenty of standardVOLKSWAGEN PASSATVolkswagen Passat 1.4TSI Comfortline Manual>PriceR3 7880 0 (R398 800 -DSG)>Engine1 395cc, 16v, 4cyl turbo 110kW@ 5 000 -6000rpm,250Nm @ 1 50 0-3 000rpm>Transmission6-speed manual(7-speed dual-clutch auto), FWD>SuspensionMacPhersonstrut front, multi-link rear>Performance0-100kph in 8.4sec, 220kph, 5.3(5.2)ℓ/100km, 124g(121g)CO 2 /km>Length/Width/Height4 767/1 832/1 456mm>Kerb weight1 38 7(1 413)kg``````Volkswagen Passat 1.8TSI Highline DSG>PriceR4 44200 >Engine1 798cc, 16v, 4cyl turbo132kW @ 5100-6 200rpm,250Nm @ 1250-5 000rpm>Transmission7-speed dual-clutch auto, FWD>SuspensionMacPhersonstrut front, multi-linkrear>Performance0-100kph in 7.9sec, 232kph,5.8ℓ/100km, 130gCO 2 /km>Length/Width/Height4 767/1 832/1 456mm>Kerb weight1 480kg``````Volkswagen Passat 2.0TSI R-Line DSG>PriceR4 76800 >Engine1 984cc, 16v, 4cyl turbo162kW @ 4 50 0-6 200rpm,350Nm @ 1 50 0-4 400rpm>Transmission6-speed dual-clutch auto, FWD>SuspensionMacPhersonstrut front, multi-linkrear>Performance0-100kph in 6.7sec, 246kph,6.2ℓ/100km, 143gCO 2 /km>Length/Width/Height4 767/1 832/1 456mm>Kerb weight1 505kg>On SaleNowUPAGAINSTBETTERTHANTheequivalent BMW 3Seriesin terms ofcomfort, refinement andvalueWORSE THANTheequivalent BMW 3Seriesin termsofdynamics, sporty appeal andbadgesnobberyWE’D BUYA 1.8TSI with all the cool tech