Volkswagen New Passat BlueMotion - Full power of the German Engineering unleashed

The more you drive any of the Volkswagens, the more you'll fall in love with the German Engineering. The New Volkswagen Passat reiterates again to Indian auto makers -it needs German engineering to lead the globe. They want to continue the success story they have been doing in other Asian country China.

Polo Vento and Jenta have ensured a decent space for VW in the Indian auto landscape and the company is not content with the same, it intends to boost the brand image a little further with the new Passat BlueMotion. The company envisions becoming number one player in the next 7 years and it is inching on its way to achieve the mission it looks like.

Drive the New VW Passat BlueMotion and if you are not blown away by it, I'd say there is seriously something wrong with you. From the kick I got after watching the TVC for the New VW Passat BlueMotion, I went to a friend who had bought the new VW Passat. I asked if I could lay my hands on the beauty and the beast. I drove the beauty and herewith presenting my review.

Exteriors and Interiors
As for the exteriors you won't feel that the new Passat is much different from its predecessor. If there were any changes it is to do with the front grille, headlamps and the tail lights.



The chromed (yes) headlamps are bi-xenon with LED adds a dash of class. The tail lights too are LED giving bright light while using little power. The headlamps can be given a scrub after a drive in slush. The ORVM settings can be saved and can reuse saving on time. Under fog conditions the mirrors can be defogged by heat. Yowzaat? That's what we say German engineering guys.

The low-rolling resistance Pirelli tires promise fuel economy. The build quality looks a notch above the best in segment and the chrome usage adds lot of charm to the Passat.

Talk about interiors, it is synonymous with luxury. The upholstery that comes in leather adds oodles of beauty to the interiors. The driver and the passenger seat in the front are electrically adjustable and come with active AC. Thigh support is excellent so is support to back and head.

Center console come with ambient lighting and it adds to classiness of the interiors. Console has red lights and the doors come with white lights. The dash comes with an analogue clock although I didn't quite appreciate its placement, it doesn't ruin the milieu. The leg, shoulder and headroom are great enough for four, but the tunnel height at the rear makes life difficult for the fifth passenger (rear center). Boot is big to accommodate a small family's holiday luggage. The accelerator positioning is very comfortable for operating, and the driving experience is excellent to say the least.

Under the hood
Ask about the power the beast can unleash?The 2.0l CR TDI engine with VW BlueMotion treatment pulls great delivering 170 Bhp peaj power with 350 NM maximum torque. The base version of the new Passat (Trendline) comes with 6-speed manual power train and the Comfortline and Highline trims come with DSG You can touch the 100 kmph speed effortlessly and after 180 kmph speed the cabin gets noisy though. The car comes with 6-speed Dual-Clutch transmission and it enables smooth ride during speed change. To enhance driving comfort the auto tranny asks for throttle inputs rather than gear shift. Ask about reversing the New Passat BlueMotion? You will have to reverse once to feel it and believe it can be child's play. The park assist can be engaged and you can watch the bond car do the job including looking for parking space to parking in tight space.

The new VW Passat BlueMotion shuts out all the external noises (NVH), and in fact you hardly hear road noises in the cabin but for the welcoming noise of the wind rushing through the screen. Even the diesel version doesn't deviate too much when it comes to noise shutting. It boasts excellent damping of NVH.

Security and safety
As regards the safety and security features Volkswagen Passat BlueMotion comes with electronic safety and security systems that will help you avoid event of crash with six airbags, headrests with anti-whiplash protection.

New Passat also comes with several unique features including the Hill Hold, keyless access, start-stop, reverse parking sensor (concealed in the VW logo badge), tire pressure monitoring system and ABS off to add to the overall driving pleasure. The start-stop feature is quite refined and indeed in the best form if you compare the feature in any other brand currently in India.

In all you will be awed by the driving comfort and the comfortable interiors. Handling has been improved as compared with the old Passat. The new Passat is also quite stable for its size and it doesn't compromise on fuel efficiency as well giving an overall mileage of 15 kmpl, beating the competition (Skoda Laura) hands down.

The new Volkswagen Passat BlueMotion comes with a heavy price tag, so in case its not your cuppa, I'd at least ask you readers to take a TD, just so I have your voices joining mine to say that the VW Passat is sheer driving pleasure.

Trims and prices (ex-showroom Delhi)
2011 Volkswagen Passat TDi Trendline @ Rs. 20.8 lakhs
2011 Volkswagen Passat TDi Comfortline @ Rs. 23.80 lakhs
2011 Volkswagen Passat TDi Highline @ Rs. 26.65 lakhs

All the trims come with electric push-button handbrakes, a chilled glove box, remote boot opening, trip computer (giving mileage and the miles that the car can run with the remaining fuel) and dual-zone climate control. There are luxury options you can load including swivel headlights, premium stereo, Bluetooth and DVD-based GPS navigation. The multitude of features, excellent build quality, damped NVH and reliable engine performance all say, 'Go for the New Passat BlueMotion.'

If there is any deterrent it should just be the bulky price tag.