SMH: Passat quality makes BMW a target

[jnrdavo]

Quieter, more refined and definitely headed upmarket, the seventh generation Volkswagen Passat has prestige brands such as BMW in its sights.

However, emphasising the complexities of navigating the Volkswagen Group, the Passat’s project manager who nominated BMW as a rival, Hanno Greune, shied away from Drive’s suggestion that it would also claim sales from sister-company Audi’s A4 model.

“Audi is part of the Volkswagen Group and there is very good co-operation between Audi and Volkswagen and each of the brands is able to identify its own customer base,” he insisted during the international media launch of the new Passat in Barcelona this week.



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The all-new Passat

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Quietly, Passat looks upmarket.


“Audi customers are very much interested in the image and design of the car they are buying, whereas the typical Passat customer would be a family or a fleet operator.”

In the interests of job security, it would probably be impossible for Greune to acknowledge in-house poaching, but after a day sampling the new Passat on city streets, winding country roads and high-speed freeways, the Audi comparison isn’t as far-fetched as it might sound.

On-sale in Australia in the second quarter of 2011, the mid-size sedan and wagon springs from the old model in the same way VW successfully evolved the multi-award winning Golf VI from the Golf V.

The new Passat takes a strong engineering and design basis and refines it rather than starting all over again, and while the resulting improvement isn’t as dramatic as Golf’s great leap forward, it is significant.

If the hushed interior, strong and frugal drivetrains, sharp steering and confident handling translate from smooth Spanish blacktop to choppy Australian roads then the popularity of VW’s mid-size sedan and wagon family should continue here.

Indeed, VW believes sales growth is achievable, although the lineup loses a valuable contributor in the R36 sports model, which is consigned to the sidelines for up to two years until a new model is developed.

Its place will be taken to some extent by the 4Motion V6 Passat, which swaps its old 3.2-litre V6 for the R36 (and Passat CC’s) 220kW 3.6-litre V6. This version was unavailable for sampling in Barcelona.

In launching the new Passat, Volkswagen has promoted more formal styling which links it to the Phaeton large luxury saloon, 19 new safety and convenience functions that help start, stop, steer and turn the car and a family of new fuel efficient engines.

However, as the Phaeton isn’t sold in Australia, most of the new computerised functions won’t be standard (or even optional in some cases) and the engine lineup remains fundamentally unchanged, much of the PR spin is lost.

But driving the 118TSI sedan and 125TDI Variant (wagon) emphasises less heralded work on noise dampening, ride comfort, drivetrain refinement and interior design quality have been successful. To our eye the more formal styling works pretty well too.

The 118TSI, a 1.8-litre direct injection four-cylinder 118kW/250Nm petrol engine mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch DSG transmission is the newest member of the range, introduced last March.

The 125TDI, a four-cylinder 125kW/350Nm turbo-diesel combined with a six-speed DSG is the most popular engine in the range, accounting for 59 per cent of sales. The wagon is the dominant body-style, attracting an identical 59 per cent share.

Yet it is the 118TSI that is the driving pick of the two. A vibe-free and flexible engine, DSG obviously smoothed out from the previous generation, light yet accurate steering, strong front-end grip and confident braking power provided sure-footed, safe - and even fun - progress.

It outdoes the 125TDI because it is better balanced in the front-end thanks to a lighter engine.

The turbo-diesel still handles well and it has impressive punch from its engine’s superior torque, but there’s no doubt turning requires more initial effort and the DSG is just a little rougher and hesitant in its low-speed behaviour.

Suspension fundamentals stay the same for both cars, but there has been fine tuning, including a slight reduction in unsprung weight due to lighter front brake calipers and the XDS front diff lock that is lifted from the Golf GTI for the TDI.

Where both cars impress equally is their quietness. Many a Mercedes-Benz – let alone Audi or BMW – are noisier than the hushed Passats, which now benefit from acoustic film embedded in the windscreen as well as additional insulating materials in the dashboard area and doors.

The comparison with more venerated German brands continues in the cabin where better quality materials are used, including real wood trim. New front seats (including structure) provide substantial support, while passenger space is abundant and luggage storage plentiful.

Combine all this with the promise of more equipment and a determination by VW Australia to hold the line on pricing and there seems every opportunity for this new Passat to attract more fans, maybe even some from those more prestigious German brands…

[source: smh.com.au]

[Lams]

looks good, but passat resale hurts... I'm offered $23k for my 4 year old with 87k loaded with options. Can't even drive away in a 1.2TSI Polo for that

[Aussie Volks Guy]

Resale sucks in General - not just passats - believe me.....

[Lams]

The Golfs seems to hold resale a lot better...
by the way there is a red S3 still for sale up at Cricks, next to a 'glow in the dark' colour Caddy life!
sometimes the dealer wins but not all the time :-)

[jnrdavo]

interesting review in top gear mag on resale values from Captain Slow..... He's got a point!

[Eddy]

Hoyhoy.

Me haven't got a copy, so what is he saying, Stu.

[jnrdavo]

He was saying just buy a car with what you want (options) and colour... At the end of the day, you have to live with it and it's better than you get a smile everyday, instead of worrying what money you are going to get when you sell it..

Some people choose a white coloured car becuase when they go to sell it, the reckon that they will get a few more dollars becuase it's popular...

In summay, equate in that you may not get the best price on resale, but you will enjoy everyday with the one that you picked :-)

[Tweeked]

I reckon May's on the money there... I just traded a car and it doesn't matter two hoots what options you have or what colour it is your going to lose.
Get what you want and keep it longer is my new moto.

[johnw]

You'll never get a good price from trading in. My moto, get a second hand car and not "lose". Every car I've owned is secondhand