VW PASSAT
VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT FROM $34,990
In 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 new eighth-generation Passat has 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 car, 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 only downside is that automatic emergency braking — which can prevent a rear-end crash at up to 50km/h — is not standard on the most affordable of the three-model line-up, even though it’s included on some cheaper rivals.
The range starts with the 132TSI ($34,990 plus onroads), steps up to the 132TSI Comfortline ($39,990) and tops out with the 140TDI Highline ($45,990).
All variants are also available in a wagon bodystyle for an additional $2000.
A recent addition is the Passat Alltrack 140TDi, a faux SUV with higher clearance, some dirt road traction control smarts and a body kit, priced at $49,290.
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 140TDI is powered by a
