Top Car

January 2016|TOPCAR.CO.ZA 37

Sophisticationand

buildqualityabound.

Executiveswillfeelright

athomeinhere

Nomistakingitfor anything otherthana

Passat but thisnewoneups the executive

antesubstantially

HIGHS

Understated

elegance,

refinement,

LOWS

Thereally cool stuff

is mostly optional

VERDICT

Asrefined as

anything in the

premiumclass

equipment, even entry-le vel 1.4TSI

Comfortline models include a 6.5in

touchscreen infotainment system with USB

support – hurrah – and eigh t speakers,

park ing sensors, 16-inch alloys and LED

tail-lights. The 1.8TSI Highline model adds

3-zone climate contro l, seat s trim med in an

Alcantara and leather combo (heated up

front) and 17-inch alloys. Top-dog R-Line

cars feature a 2.0-litr e motor, DCC, XDS+

(VW’s e-diff), a 15mm-lower ride height and

one inch larger wheels.

Finally, properly premium cars offer

personalisation options and here the Passat

obliges with an R-Line exterior pa ckage plus

a range of interior trim s, leathers and alloys

up to19 inches in di ameter.

Not that it needs any of these to look the

part of a ge nuine executive sedan. While it

is instantly recognisable as a Passat,

considerably reji gged pr opor tions and

painstakin g attention to design detail have

given it a whole new persona. In shor t it

looks more regal, and crucially, more

expensive. Compared with its pred ecessor,

new Passat is 2mm shor ter overall yet rides

on a 79mm-longer wheelbase, much of that

made possi ble by areduced front overhang.

A lowered roofline, longer bo nnet and more

cab-rear glasshouse all contribute to the

sleeker profile.

Adding ‘visual width’ to the rear end are

strong shoulder line creases – unusually

visible from directly behind the car – that

stretch right ba ck to the tail-lights. Up front a

thick strip of width-accentuating chrome

caps the grille and headlights. Its placement,

along with th e designers’ insistence on a

complicated A-pillar / front fender / bonnet

intersection, demanded a precision fit for the

bonnet – an engineering feat a year-long in

the making according to VW’s Helmut Kohl.

Premium enough for you? If they’ve obsessed

over a shutline then there’s probably atonne

of engineering integrity gone into the rest of

the car too. It shows up in areas such as the

gearboxes, si x- and seven-speed du al-c lutch

DSGunits that in these latest guises seem

moreseamless than ever, with th e added

bonus of feeling exorcised of low-speed

gremlims – truly among the best

transmissions at any price bracket.

As for the all-petrol engine line-up – a

130kW 2.0TDI joins in the second half of

2016 – even the ba se 1.4 turbo (110kW /

250Nm) has sufficient urge, pulling eagerly

enough not to cause ab orted passing

manoeuvres at highway speeds. The range-

topping 2.0-litr e produces a

Golf GTI-like 162kW and

350Nm as well as a 0-100kph

sprint time in the high si xes.

It’s fast, but also a little

frenetic in Sport mode where

it holds onto each of its six

gears longer than most

Passatians would like. Pick of

the engines is the sweet

1.8-litre unit primarily dueto

its relaxed but punchy torque

delivery; all 250Nm is yours to

exploit from just 1250rpm. An extra forward

cog help s ke ep the motor in its sweet spot

while the DSG’s almost imperceptible

changes make for buttery smooth progress.

It’s the one we’d opt for every time. Pity you

can’t order it with th e adaptive ride, although

the standard steel springs are just fine.

As much as 85kg lighter and a full 7dB

quieter, the new Passat is a tasty proposition

for all sedan buyers. Should the premium

segment’s top sellers be concerned? That it’s

the current European car of the year –

beating the Me rcedes-Benz C-Class by 119

points – says much, but all in context.

Starting from R379k, pricing looks to

repres ent exce llent value, however, much of

the innovative and desirable tech is not

standard. The must-haves, the Active Info

Display (bundled with sat-nav), LED

headlights and Adaptive Cruise Contro l, cost

R22000, R13500 and R10800 respectively.

Sure, ticking the options list on a C-Class is

an equally time-consuming and price-

balooning exercise, but then the VWbadge

also appears on the nose of a Polo Vivo and

that’s something a C-Class owner never has

to think ab out. Ahh, brand

perceptions. The new Passat

isn’t ab out to lure masses of

consumers out of their BMWs

and Benzes but that’s not

beca use it’s an inferior car.

If the idea of a people’s car

attempting to take on the elite

sounds wrong to you, consider

this: If moreof the people want

premium cars then premium

cars might just be the new

people’s cars .tc