It seems a car like the Volkswagen Passat has fared just as much as parsnips, salsify and turnip. You know, those forgotten vegetables, which actually turn out to be quite tasty and healthy. The archetypal business driver apparently no longer exists and the choice for a D-segment car is no longer self-evident. Yet there is no reason to avoid such a car, we noticed during this test.
It is already so far that the Volkswagen factory in Emden, where the Passat is being built, has been put on the back burner. Shortening working hours is called jargon. There is not enough sales, so there is nothing left but to turn production back a notch. It is planned that the Volkswagen branch in Emden will eventually be converted for the production of electric cars. We all know which car type has triggered the demise of the D-segment: the SUV and now also the crossover. In addition, we see a shift in the business segment to smaller and electric. In both cases it is the addition that rules. A Golf is big enough, cheaper to buy and cheaper from a tax perspective. Not to mention the benefits that the driver of an electric car enjoys, even if the addition is now 8 percent. Well, then you will not sit in a Passat of about forty thousand with 22 percent additional tax.
Autonomous
What Volkswagen focuses on with the renewed Passat is the number of assistance systems. These have been combined under the name IQ.Drive and Travel Assist. The Passat can do a bit more than its predecessor. So he can drive a little autonomously. We have of course tested this extensively. For example, the cruise control is linked to the data of the navigation. A small practical example: you drive at 80 km / h outside the built-up area and further on is a roundabout. You will be notified of this in the screen between the two clocks and a little later the Passat will start to slow down by itself, until the correct speed for taking the roundabout is reached. You have to do the steering yourself. This is also the case with curves. If they are too sharp for the speed you are currently driving, then some gas is automatically taken back. Yet you can not blindly sail on this, as we soon noticed. So we approached a recently built roundabout, which was not on the map, so the Volkswagen did not brake. It is therefore important to always remain alert yourself! Reading signs and automatically adjusting the speed accordingly also went wrong several times. For example, the Passat braked spontaneously to 90 km / h on the A50 between Zwolle and Apeldoorn. That kind of splurge is not so much fun for the following traffic. The car can also be steered a bit, but no more than that. This is still possible on fairly straight roads with good lines on the left and right. If the bend is a little too sharp, the system immediately sounds the alarm. What can the system do? It helps you to drive a little more relaxed, thanks in part to the adaptive cruise control, but you already find this feature on many cars.
1.5 TSI petrol
We drive the Passat with the lightest petrol engine, which however has more than enough power and torque. Previously it was a 1.4 TSI with 150 hp, now it is a 1.5 with the same number of hp and also cylinder shutdown. Like every TSI, this engine is also characterized by a lot of torque in the most used rev range. It makes little sense to go very far. Precisely because of that pulling force between roughly 1,500 and 3,500 rpm, the engine feels powerful and smooth. In combination with the seven-speed DSG, the Volkswagen drives reasonably low, unless you opt for the sporty shift mode. All in all a fine drivetrain, which also shows a neat fuel consumption. The test car is on a sports suspension in combination with 18-inch wheels. It makes the Passat a little too hard on short bumps. In a car like this you want a little more comfort. On the highway, the carriage remains nice and quiet and the seating position is very good. The car has nice seats with good adjustment options. The multimedia system is completely up to date and easy to operate. The well-known virtual cockpit can be configured to your own taste. Interior and trunk offer all the space you can expect from a car in this segment and the finish is excellent. In short, this Passat Variant is a fine kilometer eater and a spacious family car.