Australian New Car Buyer – June 2019

AUSTRALIAN NEW CAR & SUV BUYER’S GUIDE | 159

I

n Australia, the medium-size
sedan class is dominated
by the Toyota Camry, but in
Europe the VW Passat is king.
In fact, it’s more fundamental
to VW than the Golf, being the
company’s oldest brand and its
most successful model, with 22
million sold all over the world.
The eighth-generation Passat,
launched in 2015, moved
upmarket, inside and out.
The cabin has a quality feel,
with soft-touch materials on
the dash and doors, aluminium
highlights and comfortable,
almost luxurious, seats.
It’s bigger than previously, too,
so the Passat now works better
than ever as a family freighter,
with the wagon also being a
much more viable alternative to
the ubiquitous SUV.
It’s loaded to the hilt with
the latest tech, including
nine airbags (as many as the
Mercedes C-Class), three-zone
air-conditioning, touchscreen
navigation and App Connect,
which includes Apple CarPlay that
transforms the centre display into
a mirror image of your iPhone’s
homescreen, and Android Auto.

The range starts with the

132TSI ($37,790) then steps up to

the 132TSI Comfortline ($43,790).

A wagon bodystyle adds $2000.

The high-performance 206TSi

R-Line packs Golf R’s 206kW

2.0-litre turbopetrol with a six-

speed DSG and all-wheel drive. It’s

priced at $62,290 for the wagon,

which looks like great value.

The 132TSI models are

powered by a 1.8-litre

turbocharged four-cylinder

petrol engine (with 132kW of

power, hence the designation,

and 250Nm of torque) matched

to a seven-speed dual-clutch

automatic transmission.

The 132TSI isn’t quick, but

it barely raises a sweat as it

moves the Passat smoothly and

quietly, and the transmission

works predictably well.

The tyres on our test car were

a touch noisy on certain types of

coarse-chip roads but, otherwise,

the Passat is hush quiet.

Visibility is excellent thanks

to the large window area and

cameras that take much of the

guesswork out of parking.

There’s a welcome surprise

in the boot: in an era of space-

saver spares and next-to-

useless tyre infl ator kits, the

Passat comes equipped with a

full-size alloy spare.

Standard equipment includes

three zone air, 17-inch alloy

wheels, VW App Connect with

Apple CarPlay and Android

Auto, navigation and a 6.5-inch

touchscreen.

Comfortline adds Vienna

leather upholstery and eight-

inch infotainment touchscreen.

R-Line adds sports seats,

Nappa leather upholstery with

fake carbon side bolsters,

sports suspesnion and 19-inch

alloy wheels.

In the base 132TSi, a driver

assistance package, priced at

$1500, adds adaptive cruise

control, autonomous emergency

braking from speeds up to

80km/h, lane departure warning,

blind spot monotoring and rear

cross traffi c alert.

In the Comfortline, a $3500

optional Luxury package

includes swivelling LED

headlights, a panoramic glass

sunroof, disco interior lighting

and automatic parking.

Our only notable reservation

about the Passat is the continued

question mark over VW reliability.

There is no doubt quality has

improved in recent years, but I

would still be reluctant to own

one, especially outside the three-

year factory warranty period.

By Joshua Dowling

THINGS WE LIKE

 Looks smart, inside and out

 Petrol engine is a smooth,

frugal operator

 Nine airbags standard

 Family-sized cabin

 Loaded with technology

 Full-size spare on an alloy wheel

THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE

Automatic emergency braking and

radar cruise not standard

Test car had a creak somewhere in

the cabin every time we hit a bump

or turned into a driveway

Reliability is still a live issue at VW

SPECS (132TSi)

Made in Germany

1.8-litre four cylinder turbopetrol/

seven-speed automated manual/

front-wheel drive

132kW of power from 5100–

6200rpm/ 250Nm of torque from

1250–5000rpm

0–100km/h in 7.9 seconds

5.2L/100km highway; 7.3L/100km

city; 95 octane premium; CO 2

emissions are 136g/km

Warranty: Five years/unlimited

kilometres

Standard: Nine airbags, stability

control, App Connect, Bluetooth,

navigation, tri-zone air, rear-view

camera with dynamic guiding

lines, front and rear parking

sensors, full-size spare, 17-inch

alloy wheels

Redbook future values: 3yr: 46%;

5yr: 31%

compare with ...

Ford Mondeo, Holden Commodore,

Mazda6, Toyota Camry, Skoda

Superb, Subaru Liberty

Safety

Performance

Handling

Quality and reliability

Comfort and refi nement

Value for money



Overall



STARS

S VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT FROM $37,790