Special thanks to Omar Kattouri for the video.
Volkswagen has always played it safe with the design. The new, mildly facelifted Passat is no exception. This ‘all-new’ Passat is from the American market and not the classy European one as that the Euro Passat is a tad smaller in size. The Americans like big roomy cars as they have big families. So, it is natural that GCC families will also get the roomier variant. In short, Volkswagen played it safe again with the new Passat by giving it small cosmetic changes, in addition to a couple of interior features to keep this car alive in the extremely competitive segment of mid-size sedans.
Exterior
From the first glance, the new Passat doesn’t feel new at all. And that is Passat’s story. It always has the subtle styling and under-the-radar design. It is meant to be a common man’s transporter and that is what it is. However, if one looks closely then front / rear fascia, hood, trunk and fenders are new. Also new to the Passat are LED headlights and tail lights. Keep in mind though that these are optional upgrades. Add to that big 235/40 tires and you have got yourself a nice mid-size sedan. Overall, the exterior looks decent and elegant and is bound to attract families.
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Interior
The interior is where VW has focused the most for the new Passat. This car looks and feels much better from the inside than its competitors. However the beige interior looks too dull. There is fake wood trim everywhere. Also, VW emphasized on the addition of the frameless rear view mirror for added ‘attention to detail’. The seats feel comfortable though the dashboard could have been smoother and not have the scratchy material Hyundai/Kia use in their vehicles. There is a brilliant capacitive touchscreen which is better than most of the competition. Moreover, the system supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto so nearly all your connectivity needs are taken care of by VW.
The Passat also includes safety features such as Automatic Post Collision Braking system, rear camera, cruise control, collision detection, BSD, LDW and emergency braking.
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Coming to the interior space, well, you will be glad to know that the Passat has the biggest boot in its segment and the interior space compliments that room. The Euro Passat is smaller and hence the American Passat was introduced to this market as we all here love space.
Overall, the Passat is geared up well for all your safety and comfort needs.
Drive
The VW Passat is powered by a 2.5 liter engine producing 170 BHP. This is good enough to propel the car from 0-100 in 9 seconds. This engine is mated to a 6 speed automatic gearbox. The gearbox is smooth at all times however there is a weird noise when redlining the RPM. The steering wheel is a bit heavy but after a while, one gets used to it. There is minimal feedback from the steering but that was expected. The ride quality is top notch in the segment as I felt almost nothing on the road – whether bumps or potholes. The car was gliding nicely. So, kudos!
We had a small dynamic drive course set up to test the agility of this FWD car and I must say it does the job nicely. The body roll was minimal and one could easily feel confident in taking sharp turns even though it is a long FWD. Add to that, heavy brakes and grippy tires and you have a great overall drive experience.
Verdict
The new Passat hits the sweet spot in all departments. It might not be an eye catcher but with great interior and driving dynamics, it is definitely right up there with the heavy weights. Add to that, a starting price of AED 87,800 and one can seriously consider it over the Japanese rivals.
Volkswagen Passat Price & GCC Specs
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