A sea change

Volkswagen launched the new Passat in India only a week back and we have now driven it in India. To begin with, the new Passat isn’t a new generation car, but one that has heavily been reworked, be it looks, mechanicals, equipment or technology. Moreover, unlike the previous car which was finally only sold with a petrol engine, the 2011 edition of the Passat only gets a diesel. So let’s find out what the new Passat is all about.

Highlights

• Prices of the new Passat start at Rs 20.8 lakh for the base Trendline version with the top of the line Highline costing 25.6 lakh.
• 2011 Volkswagen Passat only comes with a 2-litre, 170bhp diesel engine. The engine is both more driveable and efficient.
• The new Passat is available in three variants – the base Trendline which gets a manual gearbox; middle of the range Comfortline with a dual clutch automatic (DSG) and the top of the line Highline version which gets a DSG and a host of other features.
• The new Passat comes standard with Bluemotion technology which includes a start-stop system and regenerative braking to reduce fuel consumption.
• The Highline Passat also gets Parking Assist; a system that makes the car park itself be it reverse or parallel parking.
• 2011 Passat Highline comes with Attention Assist that detects lapse in driver concentration. It also gets a reversing camera and parking sensors both front and back.

On the outside, the new Passat is completely different to the car it replaces. Besides the roof, every other panel on the car; the bonnet, the doors, the fenders, the bumpers and even the lights and alloy wheels are totally new on the 2011 Passat. All for the better, we say, because the Passat now looks more contemporary and stylish. And, the younger audience will find it appealing as well.

The car looks particularly good from the front. The healthy dose of chrome, the sharp headlamps and the new Volkswagen family grille give it good road presence especially when seen in the real world in the flesh. The rear end of the Passat though is a tad staid.

Interiors are well built and now better equipped. But are too similar to the older car

Interiors of the car fail to excite as well. These are well put together and plush, but look just like the insides of the previous car. Everything from the dashboard, the central console, the steering, the stereo and the climate control as well as the various stalks and knobs are just the same as the old car.

What’s new though, is the level of equipment, for the Highline version in particular. The stereo for instance might look the same, but is now USB compatible. Also the front seats which only had a heating function earlier now cool the occupants as well. There are Attention and Parking Assist systems too. Attention Assist gauges lapse in driver’s concentration and beeps to bring his/ her attention back to the road. It does however, only work if the car has been driven at speeds in excess of 65kmph for over 15 minutes.

Parking Assist though works, as the name suggests, at parking speeds. So, all the driver has to do is pick a parking spot, engage the system by pressing a button on the central console and the car parks itself. The driver still has to operate the throttle and brake, but the car twirls its steering to make the parking spot be it in reverse or while parallel parking.

Changes on the 2011 Passat aren't just limited to looks or equipment. The car also gets a new diesel engine. It’s a 1968cc, four cylinder, common rail diesel engine that makes 170bhp at 4200rpm. The torque rating is equally healthy at 350Nm which follows a decently The end result is good low and mid range performance that aids driving in the city and overtaking on highways.flat torque curve.

For the base Trendline version, the new Passat gets a 6-speed manual gearbox. The Comfortline and Highline version though, get a 6-speed dual clutch automatic gearbox. The auto ‘box however comes with the option of shifting gears manually via paddle shifters mounted on the steering wheel and is useful when one wants to drive fast or is negotiating hilly roads.

The highlight of the powertrain on the Passat is the inclusion of Bluemotion technology. The Bluemotion technology includes a variety of changes made to the car, but the most significant for the Indian Passat is the use of start-stop and regenerative braking; the latter basically recharges the battery by utilizing the kinetic and heat energies dissipated while braking.

The start-stop system meanwhile shuts the engine when the car comes to a halt like in a traffic jam, and then fires up again the moment the brake is let off or one presses the throttle. It’s not the most intuitive technologies though and takes a while getting used to, but according to Volkswagen, it has significant benefits come fuel saving. The system though is most irritating when you want to make a turn and need the engine going to use the power steering. But, as you stop to look back and want to turn the steering while at a standstill, the engine shuts and the steering goes dead!

The steering in fact isn’t the most enjoyable on the move, either. Of course, it’s quick, precise and reasonably light to use, but it’s not feedback rich to get the enthusiastic driver interested.

In fact, compared to the previous Passat which was setup on the stiffer side and with it, lent the car commendable handling - the previous car had well reigned in body roll, sharp turn in and an almost neutral balance around corners – the 2011 Passat is softer. So, over undulated roads, it tends to roll about and wallow more than the previous car.

It’s also more of a challenge to control the understeer on the new car and with its tyres rolling onto their sidewalls when pushed hard, there’s lot less communication of what the tyres are really doing. The understeer, in fact, caught us unawares a few times and the accompanying loud tyre squeals around every bend didn’t help either.

The upside to the softer suspension setup of course, it a much improved ride quality on the new Passat compared to the older car. Nothing and we mean nothing gets through into the cabin with a jolt. Pot holes, road joints, sharp bumps, you name it and the 2011 Passat literally smoothers everything. The ride is equally pliant and comforting at both city and highway speeds. To boot, Volkswagen has improved the sound insulation for the cabin on the new Passat.

Another area where the new Passat has improved is the comfort offered by its seats, both front and back. The seats are now less firm, but the support for the side, back and thigh hasn’t suffered significantly. In fact, we’d take the new seats over the ones on the older car any day whether we are driving or being driven around.

The new Passat is now much better suited for the Indian scenario and we’d pick it over the older car any day. It’s more comfortable and the ride quality is more apt for our poor road conditions. It’s more supple and relaxing. There’s also more equipment and the car looks fresh and younger as well. What we would have liked nonetheless, is the continued option of the 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol. Or maybe even the V6 as seen on its cousin, the Skoda Superb.