 It’s easy to take a good thing for granted says AutoCar (December 2008) and the adage hold true for the VW Passat. Priced outrageously, it took a better part of five months and 10,000km to understand where the money has been spent.
It’s the small details that grow on you in the Passat. Relates AutoCar (Dec. ’08), “Driving back from Mahableshwar on a very wet monsoon day, I felt nicely cocooned in the soothing red glow of the cabin which contrasts so well with the icy-blue instrument lights. Every button is back-lit, so there’s no need to grope around and this lets you concentrate 100 percent on the road. The fog was thick but the wide spread of the bi-xenon’s and the pair of auxiliary lights that switched on automatically every time I took a tight turn, illuminating the edges certainly made life easier”.
Terrific stability, comfy seats and a flat ride plus an overall sense of security (8 airbags in all) all combine to make the Passat good insurance on the highways and complementing it’s highway credentials is its massive range of at least 700km between refills.
On the downside are the disappointing levels of refinement. The gruff engine always lets you know it’s a diesel and the harsh low-speed ride spoils the sense of calm in the cabin. The other big gripe is the ridiculous amount of throttle lag. But the biggest downer is that it’s quite a bore to drive…the electro-mechanical steering feels pretty numb and the very under steer-prone nature of the car doesn’t help either. You’re better off slotting six CD’s into the front-loading changer and hunting your favourite track via the steering-operated controls says AutoCar (Dec.’08)
Otherwise the list of niceties goes on. Superbly contoured rear seats, reading lights in the rear, puddle lamps under the front indicators ad in the footwells etc. But other than that it’s been an uneventful innings at the AutoCar garage, but that’s the most buyers of this unexciting but safe saloon would want it.
| At a Glance |
Price when new: Rs. 27.85 lakh (on-road, Mumbai), Options: None, Test Economy: 10.8kpl (overall), Maintenance Costs: None,
Faults: unscheduled engine oil top-up (warranty), Distance covered: 9,252km,
Previous reports: July 2008, October 2008 |
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