The Volkswagen Passat Variant looks old-fashioned bare in basic trim – Back to Basics

Volkswagen Passat Variant 1.5 eTSI – €48,990

The overview page of our long-running column ‘Back to Basics’ shows it flawlessly: loafers usually look great. The basic models discussed here often come with a fine paint color and large alloys as standard. This is not the case in the case of the Passat Variant. If you don’t spend a cent on options, Volkswagen’s most spacious station wagon ever will be delivered in plain white and on 16-inch wheels. Alloy wheels, yes, but with those thick balloon tires there can be no doubt that this is the entry-level car. The matte black window frame and ditto roof rails also give it away, because all other versions are currently provided with chrome or paint. The same applies to the bars in the strikingly large grille, which are simply made of plastic on the entry-level Passat. When it comes to fruit and vegetables, people are happy to pay more for ‘unsprayed’, so count your profit!

We will stick to the exterior for a moment, because we have not seen the basic lighting of the Passat before. As with other Volkswagens, the entry-level car has LED lighting, but in a simpler form. The light strip between the headlights is missing and the special motif in the rear light bar makes way for a simpler, more linear light design. These two things are related: anyone who orders a Passat with the expensive ‘IQ LED’ matrix lamps will receive a more attractively designed light bar on the back.

The white Passat is the basic version, the green a more expensive Business Elegance. Pay attention to the chrome, but also to the lighting!

Just like the version, the seat cover of the entry-level is simply called ‘Passat’. It is only in this version, because from the Business we find a slightly higher quality ‘ArtVelours’ fabric. The interior of the basic Passat also looks fine in the pictures. A bit boring, sure, but not overly bare. We have suddenly discovered an advantage to the trend of hiding almost all functions in screens, because a few years ago such a simple Passat would have inevitably had a whole series of empty buttons. The dashboard is largely made of soft plastic with fake stitching and wants to give the impression that it is leather. An automatic transmission is standard, so this also applies to the corresponding control lever on the steering column. Great, because it creates extra storage space between the chairs. A large digital instrumentation and a large infotainment screen are also present. Navigation is not available in this case, but with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay that is not a big loss in our opinion.

The good news continues, as adaptive cruise control, all-round parking sensors, a reversing camera and dual-zone automatic climate control are also standard. So it is very easy to live with the entry-level Passat, which, despite its ‘bare’ appearance, is clearly a modern basic model.

This does not alter the fact that there are indeed reasons to opt for a more expensive version. This may be because of the appearances that have already been extensively discussed, but also because of the better Ergo-Active front seats that all more expensive variants have. We also miss seat and steering wheel heating, the basic Passat does not have extensive Travel Assist driving assistant, simple Passats do without keyless entry or USB connections in the rear and ‘Pre-Crash’ is missing, the system that tightens seat belts in the event of an impending collision. and puts everything on edge. The main argument for going for a more expensive version is the fact that the price difference is minimal. While the basic version with its mild-hybrid 1.5 costs just under 49 grand, the business driver can get into a 204 hp plug-in hybrid for just €1,000 more, which as a Business is immediately much richer equipped. And it doesn’t look so basic, of course.