Next up in the three vehicle VW spread is the Passat, the changeover from the Jetta taking place in Ipoh. Jumping in from the latter, the shift in presentation with the seventh-generation B7, as its designated, was distinct.
The interior, as befits the car’s D-segment executive sedan status, is naturally the most polished of the three. The material and trim ups the luxury level a fair bit, with brushed aluminium inserts for the centre console and Iridium deco inserts on the dash and doors helping things along, but there’s no denying that it’s all accomplished in VW fashion, presented more matter of fact – and very cleanly so – than with flair and elan. Indeed, there’s nothing ostentatious about all that familiarity, which is undoubtedly in line with how the suits, which are the target market, like it.
Full story after the jump.
Cabin kit on this one includes a RCD 510 6.5-inch touchscreen, six-disc CD changer and eight speaker audio system, black leather Vienna upholstery, three-spoke leather steering wheel with paddle shifters, a press and drive comfort start function and electric-adjustment front seats.
Also to be found are an analogue clock, cruise control, electric parking brake with auto-hold function and hill-hold control, PDC for the front and rear, a tyre pressure monitoring system and a rest assist drowsiness detection system, which is seen for the first time in the Passat.
As expected, build quality and finish is tight for the German-assembled car, though it is when you go through it and the Jetta’s interior on a comparison basis that you find the latter’s fitment a little bit less rounded. Which is not to say that Pablo cannot build a car as well as Hans, of course.
The exterior follows the process – the facelift from B6 to B7 has brought about a slight change in dimensions (it’s 4 mm longer, 2 mm lower and has a 2 mm longer wheelbase than the older car), but looks-wise retains the sturdy sensibility expected of it. I’m not quite sure about the back, especially when viewed dead-on centre; the plainness needs something to dress it up, at least to me it does.
So, nothing too dramatic with this one, because there’s the Passat CC to take care of those looking for more splashes of dash and flash. On the item list are bi-Xenons with integrated LED daytime running lights, LED-equipped tail lamps, multi-spoke Minneapolis 17-inch alloys and 235/45 profile rubbers, six airbags and the usual host of three-letter acronym electronic driver aids. Ten exterior colours abound, three solid, four metallic and three pearl effect shades making up the complement.
The 1.8 TSI turbocharged engine on the RM184,888 offering has 160 PS at 5,000 to 6,200 rpm and 250 Nm from 1,500 to 4,200 rpm for output numbers, and the block is mated to a seven-speed DSG box. Performance figures are a 0-100 km/h time of 8.5 seconds for the 1,517 kg vehicle, and it gets all the way up to 220 km/h.
From a drive performance viewpoint, civilised would best describe the Passat. The output numbers are the same as that of the Jetta, but the tune coming off the 1.8 litre mill is aimed squarely at linearity and progression rather than punch. It isn’t bereft of heft, and is rapid enough getting to highway cruising speeds and shuffling along at even higher ones, but it’s all tinged with a definite modicum of restraint getting there, not just from the midband up.
So, you go along in generally unhurried fashion, as you should. In urban use, for the exec crawling his way to and fro work through morning and evening traffic, with the occasional mild sprint when the road opens up, it’s simply dandy. And on long haul runs, the strong cruiser element in it makes it the most winsome of the trio for the job.
Much of the appeal of the last comes from the ride, which plays ably to the workings of the powertrain. The honour of having the softest take of the trio in terms of ride comfort goes to it, and not the Cross Touran, which, as it turned out, offered the firmest take on things.
The Passat’s suspension is still very much anchored in ‘Continental’ fashion, but there’s less edge to the nuggets of information from the chassis and feedback coming off the rack compared to the Jetta. Most importantly, you perish any thought of doing the dirty with it in the twisty bits, such is how its character is – I simply didn’t bother.
Still, based on what I can remember of it, it’s firmer than that of the Peugeot 508 in its standard MacPherson strut layout – it’d certainly be interesting to toss both up along with something like the new EcoBoost-equipped Ford Mondeo to see what comes about. There’s a thought, then, eh?
In all, the entire direction of the Passat’s presentation falls in line with what’s expected of a car working this particular route. Sturdy and dependable, in a no-nonsense manner, the Passat is the strong and silent type, the one who gets the job done every time, with nary a peep or hint of fuss. The German answer to the likes of the Camry? Absolutely.
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nice looking car n nice review
Superb car, and with this price tag, i’ll not gonna get the japanese..
Agree with you!
If the car with bodykit and black sunroof,the car will looks amazing!
its a good car though i’ll fall asleep looking at it
The rear lights looks like some east europe cars..not so nice, why dont use design like the new passat cc?
Same thought here, but damn those eastern eu designs looks so MAFIA!!…
great and economical car!
camry and accord should take the new passat and new 508 seriously if not to be left behind
sonata and kia bigger sedan are also catching up with the camry and accord
my brother had a look at the new camry (time to change car mah). he had a camry about 8 years ago. you know what he said?? “omg, the interior got nothing inside. reminds him 100% of the old camry he had 8 years ago.”
that’s toyota. the 508 is a serious contender. but reliability of the 508 is yet to be proven.
I wished the Passat had Osim seats, mutimedia player with drop down lcd, a refrigerator, toaster and coffee maker..
nice one. sarcasm on.
nice. but prefer peugeot 508 or suzuki kizashi.
Yes, nice, a bit underspecced, thus overpriced. Overall the winner is the 508…
It doesnt even come second to me, i prefer the Mondeo over this.
it’s time for a change, not only typical japanese in compact executive segment =)
In the uk,passat will be driven mostly by cotton heads!!! aka boring men!!!
drive one,u get no girls other than auntie,take it to a disco or night spots huhuhuhu
u ll be smirked with haya papa xder rumah ka??? pasal bawak kereta papa!!!! ini kereta org tua maaaaa!!
what! lol
yup, but in UK they drove the tdi version wt almost twice the torque and lower FC compared to this tsi version (damn…our diesel quality)
So dem true…father outstation is it?HAHA
uncles car huhuhu
overall is nice.. but the back… aii….
overall is nice… but the back.. aiii…..
Golf/Jetta has better steeting feedback compared to this Passat. During my brief test drive, I feel the Passat steering is isolated. Maybe that feeling is due to owning E39 for 7 years and now Golf GTI for 1.5 years where both of them have excellent steering feedback.
scirocco 1.4 TSI vs passat 1.8 TSI …. i choose this uncle car lorr….bcos scirocco suspension is build to corner one… too firm to be comfortable. and long haul scirocco is tiring bcos steering very accurate and sensitive, drive fast that time draining concentration!!
typical VW owners/to be owners who know nothing about driving dynamics! if say like this get Toyota Avanza la!
I take it you have never driven any VW? Must be Toyota owner la!
Absolutely. True, and sits one class above.
Yup. Please put it against the Eco-boast Mondeo. That would be interesting.
eco boast? :)
let’s see if one of the local journalists will do a shootout between this and the mondeo.
You never know! :D
Can you do Passat vs Mondeo vs 508 shoot out? Seriously considering buying one next year to replace old 5 series. Going to test drive all these cars at least twice before making decision.
Heard new Camry coming soon but not expecting much from them.
The Passat and Jetta is RM25K too high set. They thought GERMAN tech can grab over some Jap supporter? Too ambitious.
Btw, i drove the previous Passat and absolutely great. The press button hand brake is one of the coolest, and i remember you can just step on the accelerator and it will release if going up hill (so your car wont slide backwards).
I drove a manual in car rental (30miles only!!), and its a great car. (but really too uncle)
A cheaper audi i may say. Engine and rear light are similar to audi a4
but what’s the fuel economy between the jetta and passat?
doubt will be anywhere good. 1417kg is way to heavy for a waja sized car!!
The wifes Golf TSI uses 5l-6l/100km at 110km/h on highways. Not bad. But what amazes me is that when I blast at a constant 180km/h-220km/h, it never goes past 10l/100km. My previous cars uses almost double that..
never do direct comparison between japs and germans tech. take 1 good example. scirocco 1.4tsi with weight up to 1800kg still can speed up to 235km/h.it even more easy to handle the car at that speed+with a good braking system..but need to xtremely careful with super laju bus express..
hahaha cepat express
a long review, but reading it feel like reading some poem or just not straight to the point. I bet there are lot of reader like me out there…
for example
As expected, build quality and finish is tight for the German-assembled car, though it is when you go through it and the Jetta’s interior on a comparison basis that you find the latter’s fitment a little bit less rounded. Which is not to say that Pablo cannot build a car as well as Hans, of course.
can’t it be straight to the point, like as expected, build quality and finish is tight for german asemble car, however, in comparison, i find passat has better finishing compare to jetta.
Ha ha, to each his own. In any case, you figured out what was meant in the paragraph. ;) I could of course have condensed the entire piece into this:
“It’s built like a Volkswagen. Drives like one – clean, colourless, efficient. A bit boring looking, but gets the job done.”
Sums it up. And in less than a minute, with just 20 words. :D
It’s annoying isn’t it?
I am more impressed with writers who can get their point across, deliver the message to readers in plain and simple English. Making it very easy to understand. Not necessary using less words. But well constructed KISS sentences.
I think it doesn’t get any simpler than the 20 word summation. :D But, yes, point noted, as it always is ..
As an aside, lovely moniker .. sorry, name. Would you be thinking of a M 1:2/5cm, or a more recent M 1:2/35 Aspherical? Running a ’53 IIIf, hence the name jumped out. Together with Summitar and Summilux, great names for a trio of pets!
Imagination sells, not boredom. If you like zero flair in writting, go search for the car’s brochure… those are straight to the point.
BTW Anthony, I like the Hans and Pablo comparison, instead of plain jane german vs mexican. Nice twist for a change
What an overpriced commoner. Reminds me of german spinster. Well built but boring in bed.
LOL.
Interesting. It sounds very typically VW, which I thought they were trying to get away from with the Passat CC.
There seems to be a lot of competition in the D Segment now. I’d imagine that the Passat, 508, Teana, Mazda 6, Sonata and Mondeo are all competing in a very small pool of D Segment buyers who don’t care about the resale value.
I guess its boring uncle look is partly due to Passat CC, VW want the look to be quite a distance from CC (not to mention the powertrain) so that the price different of almost 100k can be explained.
totally agree with bob, great review but too much of flourish terms.
As an Uncle myself, I will still buy this boring car and yet, my young mistress definitely will agree with me.
Can anyone suggest a car equivalent to this price and power that not boring and not for uncle?
508 looks like it would be be less boring than passat. Sat in a passat being display in Jusco Terbrau. The plastic components for dash, door etc etc is tightly fitted together with without gaps -but they do not have the premium feel. They are supposely CBU – but from where?
In German language,volks mean petani petani,pr farmers,and wagon means cart or like kereta lembu ma. so volkswagen means kereta pertani or somerthing like a bullock cart.
so in Germany, UK and other European countries.volkswagen are driven by men who lacks in libidos,imagination,or similar to your gurubesar in school k.in germany and uk.only municipal officers,tax officers,teachers and vets drives them as for gti only hairdressers or gays likes or drive them.put it this way,if u r in your late20s or early 30s.
dont drive this to a disco or hard rock cafe,nanti the usual hayooo kereta manyak besat
pinjam mama punya kereta ka?? mama pergi haji ka??hhhuuuu.
poor man german car!!!!
Which planet are you from. Here on earth, VW is a top selling car with class!
Guess you don’t know anything about the car that is selling well everywhere in the world. Even in the US, it has just set record sales for the first time (just do a Google search). It is the top seller in China. It is the most commonly sighted non-Japanese car brand in Japan, along with Audi and Mercedes Benz. Its selling well in India now. It is the best selling car in Europe for the longest time (Europeans are a fussy lot, even Toyota’s have difficulty selling there!)
It is the top car brand in Latin and Central America as well as most of the best selling markets in Africa. It just set new records in Australia for sales … and last but not least, it is the fastest growing European car in the Malaysian market.
In fact, by the end of this year, when sales figures are released by the MMTA, you might see VW at the top of the sales table among European cars after their phenomenal 118% growth from last year. So your take on guru besar and petani car might just be due to your own discrimination and bias.
volks = petani? wagon = cart? mcm Tesco punye? LMAO
Err hello, tak pergi sekolah jgn memalukan sendiri di sini.
Volks means people in german, use something called to google translator to see for your self. Volkswagen simply means peoples wagon or people’s car.
Please Do not make a fool of yourself here. need school funds, go to PTPTN not PAULTAN.ORG
Daniel,
Pls use google to translate what Volkswagen stand for… dont make yourself a fool
you cant even spell “petani’ right.
Typical fanboi comments
VW for Poor man in Germany?yes coz VW is Germany national car but the quality is still better than the rich man P1 and P2 cars here !!!
plain jane…….. thats the right words to describe vw. the gti was beaten by alfa guiletta qv tbi in germany. the previous golf r32 was beaten by alfa 147gta.
what is there left for vw? other then to aim for brain dead drivers in the chinese,american and malaysian uncles and auntie market la
vw is about the same standard as proton in germany.plain jane!!
Germany and M’sia are totally different
1 is 1st world standard country and 1 is 3rd world country . people prefer German national cars over third world national cars that’s enough to comparing…VW is expensive without protection but people still prefer it…huh if Potongs LOLX LOLX LOLX
Try driving one first la.. Then you know
LOL why change your name from daniel to danielhashim?
Since VW Passat nearly RM200,000 if
I were in this market, I’ll pick the cheapest Audi A4 1.8, MB C200K, or wait for new 3er if not existing 3er. RWD Bimmer and Mercedes or badge-appeal of Audi has better perception than Passat.
If Passat CC 1.8 has this pricetag, the CC 5-seater is better choice. Pricing of Passat and Jetta simply weird since in VW Sg, these mOdell not really premium in pricing nor positioning.
Sound brand with poor pricing will hinder this brand’s growth.
Karl, Passat is 185k and Passat CC is price at 257 and 270. Why u say it is better to get Passat CC as they are having huge price gap?
keta ahpek, sori VW, I XMAU!
keep on drive your 2nd hand vios lorrr
No one ask u mau little one :) drive ur old ah pek car lah!
u people complaint so much..what car are u driving? if u cannot afford this car stop complaining lorr..
Nicely said…
yup ask me. I agree with you 100 percent. What car they drive? If cannot afford beli diam diam la. Don t talk so much !
Well I believe this is a very good car in its class and also priced nicely.
Frankly speaking, it doesn’t excite me with the outlook and interior of the car. It looks like a 5-yrs old design.
stupid uneducated retarded Daniel….!!!
After reading through all the comments,i was laughing at a lot of the dumb comments. No offence to anyone.
First, some people said this car is boring. is 7speed DSG gearbox boring? turbo engine that is faster than competitors boring? 0-100 in 8.5sec boring? Clean design boring? In comparison, flashy design is ‘interesting’
And yes, it car is aimed at ‘uncle’. isn’t this type of car aimed at ‘uncle’? i did’t know that Camry, accord and other cars in the segment is ‘interesting’ or aimed at ‘young’ people.
I do agree that the interior is a bit boring. That being said, i find most of the competitors interior to be ugly. i would take ‘a bit boring’ to ‘ugly’ anytime.
Some commented that this car is overpriced. Tell me a car that has better engine, gearbox, performance, 5star NCAP,…. Small insignificant specs like auto wipers, tyre pressure monitoring,.. should be ignored as those are not important.
Can’t agree more with u :)
yeah..u are right, that is why i sold my altis2.0v n bought this Passat (CKD)
as a “young man” (only 38)who just bought this “so-called” VW Passat Uncle Car, n who used to drive Altis 1.8e then 2.0v, i would say that i am a much happier driver now with this “uncle car”…enough said.
Why passat ? not Jetta ?
Jetta look younger and sporty , more cheaper also .
also 8.4 sec but fuel 6l/100km right ?
jetta = altis 2.o , Passat = Camry 2.4v
Not worth it lah changing from Altis 2.0v to Jetta. I wanted to join the D segment…so choosing Passat was the right decision
Anyone here has problems with DSG? Or, not in Malaysia?
Having read all the comments, I found it especially interesting that many people who are not buying a new car are commenting on a new one. When you buy a car and find a better one, it takes a bigger person to admit it. I cannot deny that the design is not “interesting” but personally, it is a good compromise. Uncle looks and young at heart.
I drove the Honda Accord.. plastic and small. I drove the Camry.. same (I feel the Japs have it comfortable and VW is going to get them to sit up and do some work). Drove the Mondeo and it is nice, bigger but design wise, Passat is better, speed Mondeo feels faster and size, Mondeo slightly larger with nice specs in side but the engine noise gets into the cabin and gear shift is not as smooth as Passat. 508 was better in many way over them but seriously compromised cabin room. (I’m 6’2″, size matters to me).
But to all of you out there… it is always okay and not a sign of defeat to agree to disagree. No one is going to get you a price for being an staunch supporter of any one particular brand. Give your experience as that is all a person like me, looking to buy a new car for my wife, wishes to read. Any one hurt by comments, sorry, not intended and I apologise.
Hear from a friend his Passat’s enginee “die off” a couple of times even the car is brand new. Troublesome despite the company giving 5 years warranty.
I am in Cardiff, Wales for a short course. Majority of the cars here are “young” – less than 5 years on the road. Not many Camry here, Accord have seen a few, but VW Passat are so easy to find. Even taxis are Passats…, another common brand is Renault and Peugeot. Mercs and BMW are too. Envy them since in Malaysia all these cars are considered executive level. However, there are also many new smart, cute and economical cars here not seen in Malaysia… I am enjoying myself looking at them while still have the chance. Cheers..!
I disagree – having had the passat for just over a month now, here are all the issues I have picked up:
1. Bluetooth handsfree isn’t standard (even the Mazda 2 has it as standard)
2. Sound intrusion into the cabin is HORRIBLE! I am constantly thinking how a Honda might perform even better
3. Dashboard rattles after just 100km – and I drive on the streets of bangsar!
4. Horrible build quality all around! Worst VAG experience given that my other car is a 2000 model Audi A6 from UK.
5. Engine noise is just as intrusive, even at the lower revs.
Obviously DRB-Hicom and VW just want your money and don’t care about complaints. They’re just ruining the VW brand with their shoddy build quality!
Test drove one today at Glenmarie Daz Auto. Most of the strong points are stated in the article so I guess I just need to point out some flaws (or maybe subjected to the test car only).
1. When cruising at low speed, the DSG gearbox doesn’t offer smooth and jerk free ride.. may be thats the nature of DSG but I expect a smoother ride.
2. Brake response is really very direct and straight forward..might needs some time to get used to it.. good point though.. good braking.
3. Cabin size is noticeably smaller than its target competitors.. e.g. Teana, Camry…
4. Build quality is not as described much better than Teana or Camry.. leather seat wise not as good as those jap
5. Minor turbo lag results in not so linear acceleration but much better than other turbo makes.. (Audi with CVT is superb in comfort)
rattle dash is common VW problems.
For passat, this problem is carry forward from B6 to B7.
Very surprise german like rattle dash.