The Volkswagen Passat B8 has been voted the 2015 European Car of the Year by a panel of 58 motoring journalists from 22 countries on the Continent, a day before the 2015 Geneva show opened its doors to the press.
Racking up a total of 340 points, the new D-segmenter overtook nominees such as the Citroen C4 Cactus (248 points), Mercedes C-Class (221), Ford Mondeo (203), Nissan Qashqai (160), BMW 2 Series Active Tourer (154) and Renault Twingo (124), to collect the coveted crown.
“We are extremely proud of this accolade,” said Volkswagen CEO Prof Martin Winterkorn. “This honour is a tremendous confirmation for the work of our engineers, designers and the entire team. The new Passat shows that the Volkswagen brand has the right answers to the challenges of our time.”
This is the third VW to bag the European accolade in the recent past – the Golf won it in 2013 (it was also World Car of the same year) and the Polo, in 2010. The new Peugeot 308 – expected to launch in Malaysia next month – was last year’s winner.
The eighth-gen Volkswagen Passat made an appearance in Malaysia only five months after its world reveal in July 2014, and will probably be introduced here towards year-end. Excited yet?
Volkswagen Passat B8 at Das Event in Malaysia
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
Yes, this car is European car and all that. But that is because Europe is cold.
VW AG already said in black and white that their DSG Cannot be used in hot countries and countries with traffic jams like Malaysia. If used, it will be prone to continuous breakdowns.
So many VW fans will come here and say that it is a thing of the past but rest assured the DSG is still not sorted out for hot Asian countries.
That is why VW AG told VGM that DSG cannot be used in Malaysia but VGM still persist in selling DSG cars here. That is why in 2 years, they have like 5 CEOs. The CEOs resign because they too know that if HQ says cannot sell DSG in hot countries, they must follow.
But in Malaysia, Management is higher than CEO/MD. They override the advice of VW AG in Germany. Who loses? Malaysian buyers lose!
I am a Passat Owner. I bought my car in March 2014. It is a 2014 model. From March 2014 until today my car has broken down 4 times. All 4 times were DSG related.
Before I bought my car, I asked the salesman and even the manager to assure me that all DSG matters are resolved. The swear upon whatever false Gods t that DSG was a thing of the past and only affected 2011 and earlier models.
So, already 4 times my DSG has broken down. Each time, SC took 2 months to fix it up. In total, I have not seen my car for 8 whole months. And it has only been 11 months I have owned this damn thing.
I have full of regrets. Suffered so much. I tremble in fear when my DSG becomes spoilt after the 2 year warranty is over. I know fleet cars in my office use VW and that their warranty is discretionery after the 2 years.
I am trying to sell off my Passat before the 2 years warranty is over but no used car dealer wants to take it in. The best I have got is RM$80k. But how to sell at that price when I have bought RM$170k? Rugi lah aku!
I advice all buyers, stay away far away from the dry clutch. The sales people will swear to you (as they did to me) and assure you the world, but when it breaksdown, they don’t care for you. They will swear to you that the DSG is resolved.
VGM has stinking service. If you know your DSG are ALL faulty, keep the boxes in store. Why hold a customers car for 2 months? What if i did not have a spare car?
VGM should give all of us owners 10 years warranty. You have sold us a lemon, own up to it. And you are still selling people lemons, be honest about the DSG problems they are going to face!
VW Malaysia clearing 2013 plates for RM90k. That is why your baby is worth less than RM80k
this is really a nightware for the owner…will avoid this at all cost…
My condolences to you bro, no wonder so many Passat for sale in Mudah.com, 2012 model for RM90k+….what happened after the owners group protest at VGM hq 2 years ago, VGM just kept quiet about it?
I can see plenty of 2912 Honda Accord 2.0 and 2.4 on Mudah.my for 90k and even less than that. Accord got gearbox problems too, eh? Very unreliable car… I can even see a few 2012 Camry for that price, and they don’t seem to be damaged. Also, 39 Passats are for sale. 63 Camry and 31 Accord. So Camry and Accord are junk that people try to get rid of before the warranty is over? Selling at the same price as the Passat?
You forgot one thing. There are more camry and accord on the road compared to passat. So look from precentage to the population…
the camry total say is more than double passat i guess. calculate using % instead of #
let me teach you how to calculate basic depreciation in malaysia.
new camry 2.0 in 2012 – 140k
in 2013 (first year) depreciation is 15%. market is 120K.
in 2014, minus another 10%, minus 12K.becomes 107k.
in 2015 (now), minus another 10%… and taraa…. 97K.
this works on paper. in real life, dealers may play with the figures to sell the car fast.
remember, we are talking about selling price, not trade in (which is lower)
I feel you bro! However when its working perfectly and you gun the engine along the highway, it brings a smile to your face doesn’t it? The tears will come later but at least you had some satisfaction.
That sounds like a made up story. Surely you’ve got proof? Receipts etc.? Even a photo of the car with todays newspaper inside to show that you actually own a Passat?
Why didnt you do some research before buying your vw? Were you blinded by the vw brand name? A car is usually our 2nd biggest investment in life. You should have done your research or ask around for the opinions of those who have used a vw. Why did you foolishly listen to what those sales people have to say? Lolss they are only interested to successfully sell you the car and get their commission. They’re not bothered about your concerns. So, of course they will tell you the DSG issue’s been resolved and promise you the stars. I’ll always research something myself before buying it, especially if it’s something big. Anyway good luck to you
well buying car is about luck
i know the reason why VGM want hold your car for 2 months ,because by doing this, they can minimize the chancea for your car to claim warranty and easily pass two year. if not, it gonna be more than 100 times your can masuk workshop.
Be careful about their warranty. It is ONLY 2 years. The remaining 3 years is insurance warranty. So many people had major problems and insurance say a big NO to their claims.
So, after 2 years, be prepared to fork out RM50k on the DSG box if it kaputs then.
you are wrong ,its already confirmed by VW manufacturer even after 5 years if the DSG brokedown it only cost you RM1888… not like others brand…
Seriously? This must be 2015 European Joke of the Year.
Stick with Toyota or Honda and you will never go wrong
Come to Malaysia or any hot Asian country, LEMON OF THE YEAR!
Europe has warm temperatures and traffic jams too. It can go up to 48°C…
What’s your source for VW AG having told VGM that DSG can’t be used? And why would VGM insist on using it? DSG is more expensive than torque converter gearboxes, surely if it could be done and it makes sense from a reliability stand point they would use a TC, right?
You are missing the point. Yes Summer can go up to that hot, but it is not near 100% humidity like in Malaysia.
Sure Ah? How come in Malaysia always breakdown?
Malaysia always breakdown because the Dry Clutch cannot handle heat. You can only use your VW in the night. That is why people make fun of VW owners as Knight Rider.
Because they judge car of the year by features. Not actually owning and using the car as an owner would. And VW marketing ploy means it has got every technology acronym in the specification sheet. So kiasu blind people buy it because they thought they are buying the best… Now. Hmmm, padan muka…
Thats how people here actually recommends or buy cars what
Car A 100k – 6 airbags, 5 speed, 21inch rim
Car B 100k – 4 airbags, 4 speed, 16 inch rim
Buy Car A, god car of the year, and they’ll copy paste such recommendation all over the place
If you tell them otherwise they’ll say you’re stuck with ancient tech and refuse to move forward.
The truth is, there’s alot more than specs to consider when buying a car
I have to concur with you…. padan muka to those who buy base on specs or listen to recommendations by so called “car enthusiast” or “expert”
dry clutch is a bad idea in ASIA.
just imagine if they do change the gearbox to a “normal” 6 speed auto it would make a world of a difference in terms of reliability..but because of ego and not wanting to admit “defeat” with the DSG in hot countries they continue to sell them..thank god we are more informed thesedays
Just read Volkswagen Malaysia facebook comments. It is utterly shocking. You will get such a fright. Salesman can lie all they want but users comments are most honest.
I spend RM200,000 I don’t want problems and spend all my annual leave in the SC. Somehow, most VW owners are always at the SC every month of their lives.
If one look from a business point of view, they should never drop DSG or suddenly start selling newer models with conventional auto because that would mean they finally admit the DSG problem as their fault, which in turn, means admitting that they had been lying to consumers all these while. Admitting to an intentional fault after such a long cover up would be a suicidal move for one’s business.
Hence, this business theory would suggest you stick with DSG and keep telling the same fairy tale about it to the public. Afterall, there are quite a number of people out there who relentlessly keep defending the DSG for some obscure reasons. This split in public opinion would create a balanced debate about DSG, hence VGM should manage to score a decent number of sales every now and then by tilting the scale with good marketing moves.
Just a point of view.
That is why its is still called a sui kwan kwai tai Euro
Nice car but wait for 5 years to see if they rally fix the problems first….
Tbh, I feel that the Passat, C class and Mondeo both deserved the award.
The Passat brings a bit of luxury to a more accessible buyer group. The fact that it is billed to go against the compact execs like the 3 series and Audi A4, and the very business like styling, it’s like a crisp business suit.
The C class is really next level luxury. It’s so good it makes the E class so so dated. Seriously an amazing piece of art.
The Mondeo on the other hand is long overdue. It kinda injects some life into the otherwise dead exec carpark. Seriously the styling makes the car worth way WAY more than it is. And not to mention it should drive like a champ.
Too bad there can only be one.
Good luck to VW Malaysia if they still insist on putting DSG in their new generation Passat to be sold in Malaysia.
Passat is a big Civic in terms of size.
I’m quite disappointed that the Passat made it. The price really belongs to the Twingo or Cactus… those were different, innovative and affordable cars. What’s so great about the Passat? Just some small improvements over the previous car…
In term of design, Europe like boxy design and sharp edges. Like this new Passat, Mondeo, Peugeot 508… It might be conservative but at the same time look executive.
compare to east country, they like fluid design language. Lexus, Mazda, Infiniti, Hyundai. Look radical and sporty.
But…but….but
Same Lorrrr’s dream car Camry has very boxy design with ah beng bodykitty. I think the designers got idea from matchboxes. It’s fail before launch!
Haha!
2015 ada lagi 10 bulan….belum habis lagi sudah dapat award!!European tarak otak atau VW bayar utk dpt award?
Side view, rear quarter, macam Inspira.
I was very skeptical about the DSG problem. Almost bought a CC but luck was on my side. Incidentally, managed to meet a friend over teh Tarik that was suffering a DSG failure. He has a PASSAT. He made me swear to him never to get a VW with a dry clutch. That was warning no.1.
My family doctor got a CC less than a year ago. Congratulated him on his purchase as I was already admiring the CC. He was boasting that the drive was good but recently encoutered the infamous DSG issue. Last I heard from him, he sold it off and made a lost of RM70k. That was warning no 2.
Seriously, do I need warning no 3 ? I am now 100% convince that there is a problem with the DSG as Two of my close friends encountered this issue. its not that I read it somewhere or heard a rumor. It’s coming from word of mouth from two friends whom have nothing to gain by saying that the DSG has big problems.
To those of you whom are defending the DSG ISSUE is either in denial, have not encoutered the problem yet or worst still, not even a VW owner. If you do not have experience in the matter why are you defending? It only makes you look like a desperate VW sales person. I always believe, if you have nothing good to share or say, just keep quiet. Don’t hurt the feelings of the people whom are already facing the issues.
To me, I rather avoid this unpleasant situation until they resolve this. This is my personal opinion.
perhaps, we could wish them the best of luck!
Are there any owners of the Vw with 6 speed wet clutch dsg here? Does it also suffer from dsg issues? Specifically to the MK7 GTI
I own a 2011 passat cc. Bought it right b4 they increased the price by 30-35k….so far the car have served me very well indeed…mileage about 105,000km
tik tok tik tok..DSG is counting to be…
the passat CC is wet clutch, shud be no prob….while the VW CC is dry clutch.
Dont confuse urself btw passat CC & the CC
I have a golf gti mark6 (end 2010), wet clutch and polo tsi (end 2011), dry clutch. So far, i must be super lucky because both are still ok. Reading comments from other owners does make me super nervous. i suppose just enjoy the machines for now – It does make you smile when u drive it, especially the gti. Hopefully, i won’t have to cry like the others at vw SC….really feel sorry for them.
VGM never solve DSG issues.
Synthetic gear oil change to Mineral does not solve DSG problems
My ride change DSG Mineral oil under VGM campaign.
Transmission software also remapped.
Done on 30K mileage.
On 47K mileage, mechatronics fail!
Obviously, mineral is not the remedy.
No car to use! No mechatronics delivery date!
Which service centre you sent to? did what sort of feedback you VW giving to you..?
VW 7-speed DSG (DQ200) Transmission
11th June 2013 (Mechatronics Unit)
Volkswagen Australia announced on 11 June 2013 that some vehicles in the range are subject to a voluntary Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) transmission (DQ200) recall. Affected owners will be contacted formally by letter to arrange for the DSG mechatronics unit replacement.
15th November 2013 (DSG Gearbox Oil)
Due to electrolysis in the gearbox, the sulphur constituents in the synthetic oil can separate off. These accumulations settle between the conductor paths of the electronics in the form of conductive particles and can therefore cause an electrical short circuit and the gearbox fuse could blow. Should this happen, the clutch will fully open due to power supply failure, causing the vehicle to roll to a stop if in motion.
Following are doing a mechatronics unit swap…
VW China
VW New Zealand
VW Japan
VW Australia
and the following are doing a gearbox oil swap…
VW Canada
VW Taiwan
NEW!!
23rd Jan 2015
“VW recalls another 6,700 vehicles over fuel leak”
Jettas, Passats, Golfs, GTIs, Beetles and Beetle Convertibles, all of them from the 2014 and 2015 model years (except the Golf and GTI, of which only 2015 models are being recalled).
http://www.autoblog.com/2015/02/02/vw-additional-45k-fuel-leak-recall/