Volkswagen Passat - Pass(at) with flying colours

Looks

The body sections have been changed but the sixth-generation Passat’s shape is still quite similar to the old model. The roofline looks like a twin-effort but has a more lustrous, toned character to it. When you view the Passat head-on, there’s a lot of Jetta that catches your eye. The chromed front end is strikingly similar to the smaller VW while the rest of the form hints at styling cues from the Phaeton. The large appearance and the C-pillar are so very typical of the Phaeton. This makes the Passat appear classy and it has an air of understated grace to it.

Looks of a car draw variable comments but for once, here’s a car that has nothing that you can point a finger at in revulsion. The styling is quite neat, well laid out and contemporary. The dominating front end, marked by that chrome grille section, is complemented by circular LED tail lights and a no-nonsense, curving trailing-edge rear section. No, the Passat is not as outlandish as the Toyota Camry, neither is it as insipid as the Skoda Superb. But it has all that it takes to battle it out with the likes of the 3-Series, A4 and C-class and also scare the Superb, Camry and Teana.

Interior & Comfort

It is all about attention to detail, the interior. The doors open wide and greet you with the smell of pure indulgence. Since most owners will prefer being in the back seat, let us tell you that you will be pampered. But if you wish to drive this involving machine, you can rest your behind on the enormously supportive captain seats which feel like armchairs. And then there are the electronic controls to play with, to adjust the seat for your comfort. The steering is adjustable for both reach and rake which makes for an easy job of arriving at an ideal driving position. The “Press and Drive” function is a little unlike the BMW and all you have to do is insert the ‘key’ into a dedicated slot on the dash and press it to bring the engine to life. You get buttons on the steering wheel to minimize taking your hands off the wheel to control the brilliant-at-clarity audio system that has a 6-CD changer unit to thrum your ear-drums through eight speakers!

There’s a plethora of the regular electronic knick-knacks which have become quite expected in a car costing as much as Passat does. There are electrically operated windows and mirrors, a keyless entry system, parking sensors, climate control, sunroof, “coming and leaving home” automatic lights and a host of other features. A particularly unique and rather helpful addition are the manual blinds that transform harsh sunrays into soft light while not impeding visibility. Brilliant! The grandeur of the exterior is continued in the cabin too. You will indulge in the luxury on offer and shower praises on the build quality and plastics used. The lower dash has a little flimsy plastic feel to it and we would have liked the air-con to work better to dismiss the heat inside, but we are nitpicking at our brutal best here. The centre console sports a well-finished brushed-aluminium look and there’s no dearth of stowage space. You get a glove compartment with cooling facility while cup holders are available at both the front and rear.

The dials and knobs feel rich and some innovative features caught our fancy for good. When waiting at a traffic signal for the light to turn green, you don’t necessarily have to get the gear-lever in “P” mode, which will activate the brake. All you are required to do is push the parking brake button on the dash, which is placed next to the circular control knob for illumination. What this does is disallows the car to move, despite of it being in the “D” mode. Once the signal turns green, just press the accelerator and the parking brake releases automatically and you get moving again. These are simple things that go a long way to enhance the experience. That’s why we said, it is all about attention to detail and thought process. Oh, lest I forget, you will simply love driving this car when the sun goes down, for that lovely, lavender back-lit surrounding mesmerizes you.