Can the Passat survive as an estate car only?
Exterior – Front
So, let’s start with the styling at the front of the Passat and straight away we can see we have the new design language that Volkswagen is going with. We get a thin set of LED Matrix headlights with the new day time running light graphic in them and we also get a slim upper grill and a light bar too an addition to the Volkswagen Passat. Lower down we get the main grill which makes the car look like it is smiling but also gives the styling a bit of uniqueness. To the side of the main grill, we get some thin side vents. The bonnet also has a limited number of creases, but the overall front design is very premium and curvy from what we are used to with Volkswagen.
Exterior – Side
Moving round to the side and we get a minimalistic design with only really 2 creases. One through the door handles and another one lower down. This does look like a typical estate but with a sloping rear window it does look quite sporty. The wheel designs are also modern and sporty too just like the Tiguan. Now one thing I will say is that you can see that this was developed by Skoda. This is because the whole side of the car is the Skoda Superb estate. This was done to keep the costs down and do you know what. I don’t care that it is a Skoda estate underneath as it looks modern, and it will help with the practicality of the car later in the video.
Exterior – Rear
Moving round to the back and we get a similar design to the Tiguan. we get these clear taillight lenses with a 3d light graphic in them as well as a light bar connecting the 2 taillights together. This black panel also is black on the base model too unlike the Tiguan and in my opinion, this makes the car look much more modern. On the tailgate you get the Passat lettering lower down and, on the bumper, we get some gloss black plastic which makes the car look quite sporty and we also get a big spoiler too. Let’s have a look at what engine options you can have with the new Volkswagen Passat Variant.
Car and engine specs and price
So, for the engine options in the Passat it is very easy to choose. There is only one option now, but we should expect some plug-in hybrid to be announced for Q3 of 2024. The engine option that you can get at the moment is the legendary 1.5 litre engine with 148 bhp. This is a mild hybrid engine, so an electric motor does give it some boost at lower speeds. 0-62 time is done in 9.2 seconds, and it sends the power to the front wheels through a 7-speed automatic DSG gearbox. The price of the new Volkswagen Passat Variant starts at £38,480 which isn’t that bad considering it is based on the Superb and you can only get it as an estate as well as the amount of equipment levels you can get. Let’s have a look at the interior.
Interior – Design
So, climbing inside the new Volkswagen Passat as we get a similar design to the Tiguan. We get this black panel that stretches the dashboard, and this houses the instrument cluster in front of the driver and a cool graphic that says Passat and lights up with the ambient lighting. In front of the black panel, you get the new 15-inch MiB 4 infotainment system that we are seeing on most Volkswagen cars. It works well and is easy to use and you also get light up touch sensitive buttons. This system though isn’t as easy to use as it is in the Tiguan though. This is because this car misses out on the multifunctional knob that the Tiguan gets and to me that’s a shame really. You do get a lot of storage in the centre console though which is quite nice. The indicator stalks are just like the Tiguan’s too and this means you get the gear selector near the steering wheel. Talking of the steering wheel we get the same design as the Tiguan, and you also don’t get touch sensitive buttons anymore either which is a good thing. The seats are like the Tiguan’s too which means they are very supportive and comfy, and this means you could easily do long journeys. Let’s have a look and see what it is like in the back.
Practicality
So, getting into the back of the Passat and this is where the Skoda part starts to really show. There is more than enough legroom and headroom is perfect too even with the panoramic roof. You could easily relax in the back. There is more ambient lighting on the door like what is on the dashboard, and you also get an arm rest with integrated cup holders, and it also has a phone or tablet holder so you can watch movies in the back. You also get own rear climate control system and rear USB C ports. You also get rear roller blinds and rear seat back pockets with phone pockets, like what another Volkswagen’s have. Let’s have a look and see what the boot space is like. Considering it is based on a Skoda I would expect it to be good.
Boot Size
So, opening the boot electronically you are welcomed with a huge and practical 690 litres of boot space with the seats up. Folding the rear seats from the boot area, it increases to almost 2,000 litres at 1,920 litres. For the plug-in hybrid model, it decreases down to 510 litres, but this is still better than a Mercedes plug in hybrid and it is still very much useable too.
Summary
So, the Volkswagen Passat Variant. Now based on the Skoda it is much, much better than before and it is much more practical and has better looks than before too. It also shows that Volkswagen has changed as a brand from 2020 when the ID.3 and the Golf were launched. The true test will be when we test the Golf Mk8.5 Facelift to see if that has improved over the old model.
Exterior 5/5
Interior 4/5
Practicality 5/5
Total 14/15
Model | Volkswagen Passat Elegance |
Engine | 1.5 Litre, 148bhp, Front Wheel Drive, 0-62 = 9.4 Seconds |
Trnasmission | Automatic 7 Speed DSG |
Price | £41,580 |
On Sale | Now |
Comments