The updated Volkswagen Passat will be launched early this month.
And, no, we didn’t dig up an obsolete photo. Well, the main picture is dated 2005, but because Volkswagen has changed absolutely nothing about the exterior, it’s still entirely valid.
Never mind that there’s a new alloy wheel design – the 16-inch job (not pictured) is no better or worse than before.
Equipment level remains very high, with powered adjustments for everything – keyless entry and engine start, as well as the thoughtful auto hold feature.
The seats are wrapped in a mix of leather and Alcantara, something associated with far more premium cars.
New dials and steering spruce up the Passat’s cabin, while DSG makes the 1.8 feels stronger than ever.
What has changed for the update is the instrument cluster and steering wheel.
The dials are taken from the Passat CC, the most handsome-looking thing to ever wear the Passat name.
The steering comes from the latest Golf.
It takes more than a new tiller and a fascia to justify a review here, of course.
More significant is the arrival of the 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (DSG in VW-speak) for the 1.8-litre engine.
The usual strengths of the 7-speed DSG over the 6-speed automatic apply.
It feels more direct, gives better economy (claims 15 percent less under the urban driving cycle) and delivers improved acceleration (half a second quicker to 100km/h).
Not quite so good is how the dry-clutch DSG doesn’t work as well in low-speed situations as the traditional automatic. It hesitates.
But the gain in efficiency over the already quite good automatic has the effect of making the 160 horses from the engine feel that much stronger.
It was part wisdom – and mostly cost control – that stopped the car from getting shift paddles.
Those things make suggestions of sportiness that the model has little interest in.
Dynamically, the Passat is capable, safe and comfortable, rather than inspired or particularly sporty.
It’s a new model year for the Passat and it’s business as usual.
2009 Volkswagen Passat 1.8 (A)
ENGINE 1798cc, 16-valves, inline-4, turbocharged
MAX POWER 160bhp at 5000rpm
MAX TORQUE 250Nm at 1500rpm
GEARBOX 7-speed dual-clutch with manual select
0-100KM/H 8.5 seconds
TOP SPEED 215km/h
CONSUMPTION 13.7km/L (combined)
PRICE INCL. COE $117,900
