Volkswagen Passat 2.0 FSI 2006 Review

The Passat nameplate has been a fixture on Volkswagen's Australian price list almost as long as the Golf and through five generations it has gained a good reputation as a solidly built, competent mid-sized car. Originally, it was the sedan alternative to the Golf hatch but in recent generations, it has grown substantially in size and prestige.

The last generation was in fact very much an Audi A4 under the skin prompting many to wonder why you might dig deeper for the extra $10,000-odd for the four rings when you could have much the same car for far less.

The VW might not have had the brand cache of its sister firm Audi, but there was little difference between the cars. This must have been a question Volkswagen asked itself too because for the new sixth generation Passat launched earlier this year, VW has gone back to its roots.

Now built on a stretched Golf platform, the new Passat shares much of its underpinnings with that car including engines and transmissions, and gaining in the process, the very positive attributes of the Golf.

Compared to its predecessor, the Passat is significantly bigger with the new transversely mounted engines helping to improve the packaging. Visually, it is still not exactly a standout design remaining rather conservative but its longer, lower profile and standard 17-inch alloys give it a more sleek and sporting visage.

The increased size also helps improve the interior space with plenty of room up front and in the wide three-seat rear bench, not to mention the surprisingly huge and long 565-litre capacity boot.

As before, the quality of the interior is one of the big Veedub's trademarks with comfortable and supportive seats -- trimmed in the leather option in CarPoint's 2.0-litre FSI test car -- a pleasing and ergonomic design and nicely textured plastics that provide a look and feel that befits a car aiming at the more prestige products in the segment.

It is also a car that wants for little in the comfort and convenience stakes with dual climate control, cruise control and an excellent sounding eight-speaker CD audio system with steering wheel controls.

There is also a nod to the latest trend in techno-gadgets with the traditional ignition key and park brake having become part of history. The key is now an integrated remote fob that slots into the dash and is then given an extra push to start the engine, and the park brake is electronically actuated via a button on the right-hand side of the dash.

Thankfully, Volkswagen has retained its funky electric blue lighting for the instruments and controls and overall the interior retains a quality and prestigious ambience.

Out on the road, this is reinforced with the cabin being reasonably well insulated against wind and road noise with the latter only becoming a little more evident over coarse chip surfaces.

Under the bonnet is the same 147kW/280Nm turbo 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol powerplant as in the hot hatch Golf GTI and while it is obviously being asked to haul a much bigger and heavier car in the Passat, it is certainly no slouch.

Off the line, the engine feels more than adequate belying its four-cylinder configuration with a very strong mid-range once the turbo is on full boost. From around 3500rpm, the Passat really kicks into life making confident overtaking out on the highway an easy task.

It doesn't need to be revved hard, however, as it delivers great flexibility -- according to the figures max torque kicks in at 1800rpm -- and the slick and responsive six-speed automatic transmission seems to easily find the right ratio for the conditions and style of driving.

Over the course of the week CarPoint was behind the wheel, the Passat was also surprisingly frugal. VW claims an official ADR 81/01combined cycle fuel consumption of 8.7l/100km and with a mix of 680km of urban and country without too much consideration for economical driving, we still achieved about 10.5l/100km.

One thing that is immediately obvious when considering the Passat's predecessor is the dramatic change in the car's suspension and tuning. Up front, it retains a MacPherson strut arrangement but the rear features a new four-link setup.

Where the previous car had a tendency to wallow and float over undulating tarmac, the new Passat is very well tied down indeed. It sits fairly flat when pushed a little through corners with a great degree of control and excellent grip from the low profile 235/45 tyres. Overall the chassis feels well balanced and predictable with the only slight disappointment in the handling stakes being the steering that although well weighted, lacks a bit of feel.

When required, the intervention of the ESP system is subtle and effective and although the ABS-equipped brakes do a good job of pulling the car up, the pedal is a bit spongy requiring a long push under hard braking.

There is a degree of trade-off for the newfound dynamic competence, however, and that is in the ride quality. It no longer offers the very plush comfort of its predecessor being quite firm. On smooth freeways it is fine but over rougher tarmac, it becomes a bit jiggly. It is not entirely uncomfortable -- and in fact we were surprised by the degree of compliance on a fairly rough dirt section of road we tackled -- but you do notice short sharp road ruts through the steering wheel and seats.

The seats do a good job of keeping rough roads fairly well insulated though. At the end of the day, and after spending a decent amount of time behind the wheel, the slight loss of ride comfort -- and for some it may not even be obvious -- is compensated by the improvements in the Passat's driving characteristics. This together with sharp pricing, plenty of equipment and solid build pushes the Passat up among the leaders in the mid-sized prestige market.