Volkswagen Passat SE Business

The Volkswagen Passat has long harboured upmarket aspirations and the latest model states its intent to conquer premium fleet sales with handsome looks and a high-specification. Richard Gooding investigates the large VW’s latest push up the executive ladder.

The Passat kick-started Volkswagen’s water‑cooled car revolution in the early 1970s. Launched in 1973, the Passat was tasked with the idea of getting drivers used to a new shape of VW. Dependence on the Beetle couldn’t last and although it shared parts with the contemporary Audi 80, the Passat showcased Volkswagen’s new front‑wheel drive, water‑cooled technology. Celebrating its 42nd birthday in 2015, the latest Passat was launched in October 2014 and is the most technologically‑advanced to date.

Based on a stretched version of the Volkswagen Group’s all-conquering MQB platform which underpins the current Golf, the latest Passat uses aluminium and vacuum-formed steel to keep weight down. Selected models tip the scales as much as 85kg lighter than their predecessors, yet the eighth-generation Passat boasts both an extended wheelbase (up 79mm) and more interior space than its predecessor. A new range of EU6-compliant turbocharged engines which range from 1.4 to 2.0 litres aim to keep fuel consumption as low as possible. Volkswagen claims improved fuel efficiency of up to 14 per cent.

Upmarket machine
The latest Passat is positioned as a more upmarket machine and has, among others, in‑house rival Audi A4 in its cross-hairs. To that end, the latest model looks more premium than any version before it, with a wide, chrome‑trimmed glossy grille extending into large headlamps, mirrored by a broad similarly‑fashioned lower grille beneath. Liberally sprinkled with chrome brightwork and with subtle body creases, it’s a handsomely elegant car. This is especially true in estate form as our test car, where the narrow side window line hints at a more sporty profile.

As before, the interior of Volkswagen’s biggest traditional family car aspires to be more premium than a few selected rivals. The German car marker has carried it off with some style: the new Passat is superbly built, with soft-touch plastics abound and matt chrome and gloss black detailing. The analogue clock in the centre of the dash is maybe an extraneous touch too far, but the air vents which are disguised as part of the upper dashboard, the silver strip insert, and the chiselled lines and surfaces match the car’s upmarket aspirations.

Diesel-only range
Despite the recent emissions issues, for the UK, the Passat is diesel-only (Euro 6), with the exception of the forthcoming GTE hybrid model (see panel). Volkswagen UK states that 80 per cent of the ‘B8’ Passat’s sales will be for the fleet market, with over half of buyers opting for the SE Business trim tested here. The best-selling variant is expected to be the 2.0-litre TDI model, while estates are thought to take 51 per cent of sales volume, despite the extra £1,550 cost over the equivalent saloon.

The less expensive £25,665 1.6-litre estate model tested here is fractionally lower on emissions (103g/km vs 105g/km) when VW’s seven-speed semi-automatic DSG gearbox is selected, meaning it falls one Benefit In Kind tax band. The six-speed manual version records the same higher level of CO2, so drivers will pay a marginally higher BIK rate of 19 per cent. All Passat models feature Volkswagen’s BlueMotion Technology which means a standard stop/start system as well as battery regeneration, which recuperates energy from braking to charge the battery. Combined fuel consumption is a claimed 68.9mpg: we achieved 52.6mpg in real‑world conditions. A £22,575, 76.3mpg BlueMotion model is also available, which drop emissions down to 95g/km.

Punchy performance
The 118bhp engine in the Passat SE Business 1.6 TDI offers punchy performance, with 250Nm (184lb ft) of torque available between 1,750 and 3,500rpm with peak power produced between 3,600-4,000rpm. An unladen weight of 1,485kg helps this Passat estate record an 11.0 second 0-62mph time and a 127mph top speed. The car is extremely quiet when on the move, with the engine very well insulated from the interior. An unflappable cruiser, the Passat really excels on the motorway with superb refinement and a devouring appetite for miles. The six speed gearbox is very positive, and the car offers a supremely comfortable driving experience.

A comprehensive DAB/CD/USB/SD/AUX/Bluetooth infotainment system is standard which also offers satellite navigation and traffic sign display features, along with three years’ online access to mapping updates. Adaptive cruise control with a radar sensor distance monitoring system and speed limiter is also standard fit, as well as auto lights and wipers, keyless start, a multifunction steering wheel, ‘ergoComfort’ electrically-adjustable driver’s seat, rear view camera, front fog lights, integrated roof rails, and 17-inch ‘London’ alloy wheels. A 650-litre boot on estate models will also swallow almost any load.

‘Democratising luxury’
Volkswagen claimed it was ‘democratising luxury’ in the early 2000s, but nowhere is that more evident with the new Passat. Over 22 million examples of the large Volkswagen have been built to date, with around 500,000 finding homes in the UK. An almost equivalently-specced and 112g/km Ford Mondeo Estate Titanium 2.0 Duratorq TDCi 150 might be more powerful and cheaper at £25,045, but costs more to tax. Audi’s cheapest new A4 Avant SE (estate) 2.0 TDI ultra meanwhile has emissions of 104g/km but is priced from £30,550.

As with the previous model, the Passat still reigns supreme when it comes to large family car quality, and as a company car, there is very little to criticise. Handsome, superbly built, comfortable and very user-friendly, there’s much to recommend the Passat SE Business to fleet managers and family car drivers alike.

Further information
www.volkswagen.co.uk