Volkswagen has been on a car-launch spree and this formidable German auto-giant has launched four new cars since December 2009, and has now updated its existing models – the Passat and the Jetta with new engines and some cosmetic changes. The Passat is now available only in a trim level called the 'Exclusive' and gone is the earlier 'Highline' variant. The Passat has undergone a few minor cosmetic changes on the inside and more significantly, on the powertrain front. Due to the change in emission norms, Volkswagen discontinued its 2.0-litre diesel engine and the Passat now comes with a 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol engine, the same engine which made its debut in India in the Skoda Octavia RS and later in the Skoda Laura, the Skoda Superb and the Audi A4. This engine now lurks under the Passat’s bonnet and is mated to a six-speed manual transmission. Volkswagen had to change the engine to meet the Bharat Stage-IV norms since the oil-burner didn’t meet BS-IV compliance. Earlier in the month we had driven the Skoda Superb 1.8-litre manual transmission which is the same transmission on the new Passat that we’ve just tested.

The Passat has always had quite a few things in its favor. It’s always been an excellent handler for such a large car and rides fairly well (as expected of a VW) and has road manners that inspire confidence and solidity. Its build quality is typically German – which means the doors do actually shut with a thunk and once you’re inside you really are isolated from the rest of the world. To realize what heavy metal is all about, try opening the bonnet or closing the boot of the Passat. Once you’ve done this, try it on a car which isn’t German or European and you’ll know exactly what we are talking about when it comes to VW build quality. The Passat retains the same interior dimensions but the hump in the rear seat still makes it something of a large four seater rather than a comfy fiver.

The new Passat has a new three spoke steering wheel, the audio system and the air-conditioner controls have also been changed and look far better than before. The Passat gets the Volkswagen’s RCD510 player which is a six-CD changer touch screen music system connected to eight-speakers in the car. This is a similar music system which we saw on the Superb MT as well. However, we found that the Passat’s system is more than satisfying when it comes to playing varied music at almost any volume. Maybe it was the Passat’s acoustics that did the trick, since it has fewer speakers than its siblings in the Skoda stable, but it played clean and crisp.

VW Group cars have always been known for their diesels and their DSG automatic boxes. The new Passat has neither and this is surprising since the Passat really isn’t an outright enthusiast’s car but is more of an executive express. So while the 1.8 turbo petrol may strike all the right chords when it comes to performance, its sort of does away with the Passat being a frugal, long distance cruiser. What we can’t fathom is why it doesn’t have the quick-shifting superlative DSG mated to the engine. To take a page out from another brand in the VW Group; VW should have looked at plonking in the seven-speed DSG with the same engine – just like Skoda has in the new Superb.

We are not too sure on how customers are going to react to the Passat, especially now that it is without a diesel and an autobox. Sure it has all the airbags, the plush beige leather interiors (excellent seats by the way!) and has a refreshed looking centre console and much nicer instrument cluster. We love the white on black dials with bright red needles and also like the way the new audio system user interface is colour coded in similar grey, white, red and black. It lends to a certain harmony when everything is lit up at night. The two tone black and beige dash (with wood and brushed chrome accents) and door panels lend the interior a sense of more luxury then the earlier all black and grey affair. What however, is still a bit of an issue for some, is getting in and out of the Passat since the seats are fairly low-set but the all-electric front seats ensure that you’re able to arrive at an optimum seating position.

We are now quite familiar with the 16-valve 1798cc turbo-charged petrol engine on the Passat which churns out 160bhp of power and produces a maximum torque of 250Nm between 1500 to 4500rpm. This engine feels more refined in the Passat than in the Superb and the turbo lag is still felt until the turbo kicks in just below 2000rpm. The engine, as always, is free revving and is happy even at 7000rpm – as we once again discovered during our performance run. Since the engine produces peak power higher on in the rev range, and we have got used to the old Passat diesel engine torque and the DSG box, the Passat now feels a little more of a handful to manage in heavy traffic. In our acceleration run, 100kph came up in 9.5 seconds and the Passat ran the quarter mile in 17 seconds. The gear ratios are fairly tall and the Passat is capable of crossing 100kph in the second gear. The fifth and the sixth gears are overdrive; this helps the car to cruise on highways making it more economical The six-speed manual in the Passat has short throws and is fairly slick on shifts. There is however a slight notchiness when shifting up from second to third. The clutch action is also fairly light and progressive. In our in-gear tests, the Passat clocked the 30-50kph mark in 4.2 seconds in the third gear and 6.6 seconds in the fourth. In the 50-70kph run, the Passat took 6.5 seconds in the fifth gear. Even though the Passat has tall gearing and cruises at 100kph@2050rpm (Cruise Control certainly helps) the Passat didn’t better 10.15kpl on our fuel efficiency run. During pedal to metal driving, the economy plummeted to 6.32kpl. So it’s fair to expect just about 8-10kpl from the Passat in regular every day use. The brakes on the Passat bite progressively and in our braking test, it covered a mere 28.3 metres to come to a complete standstill from 80kph. Credit goes not only to the beefy brakes but also to the generous 215/55R16 Pirelli P7s.

So what you really get for 18.77Lakhs (Ex-Showroom Thane) is a large VW with excellent build quality with all the bells and whistles you could wish for in a large car. We just hope VW get in a diesel engine and an autobox soon enough at a value price. At the moment it looks like it’s going to be a classic case of sibling rivalry within the family, with the Skoda Superb being far better value for money when you consider the fact that there’s at least a DSG (with the same 1.8 turbo petrol) and a range of engines to choose from (the diesel and the quick petrol V6). But more importantly, the Superb wins hands down for rear seat space – and this is one place a consumer paying so much moolah, is going to be almost all the time. So we’re keeping our fingers crossed and praying that somebody in VW signs on a paper that puts a diesel engine with an auto-box back under the Passat’s bonnet real soon!