Volkswagen Passat 1.8T

Making waves in the luxury medium segment

Without it even trying very hard, VW’s Passat mid-ranger has taken the luxury medium segment of the market by storm, despite it being one of the most underrated cars available here today. It far outsells its closest rivals (in terms of size, spec, etc. etc.) like the Ford Mondeo, Opel Omega and Peugeot 406. Bar a few shortcomings, it is a great car indeed and deserving of far more attention from the buying public.

The Passat in its current form has been around for a few years now, but Volkswagen has significantly revamped the model during the first half of 2001 – giving new meaning to the word “facelift”, as some 2300 new parts had an extensive makeover. In fact, for most people the face lifted model constituted an all-new model with virtually no resemblance to the one it replaced. One has to look very, very closely indeed to even realize that roof and doors are still the same, as everything else is apparently new.

Concept and Styling
Newer is not always better. While the latest model is not unattractive – one has to get used to the bold front and rear treatment - the design of the older model was arguably simpler, cleaner, easier on the eye. However, it is unique and will not be confused with any other model from any other manufacturer.
Yes, this is no ordinary Volkswagen. With the marque moving up market, as evidenced by its latest model ranges, the Passat is more Audi than Volkswagen, borrowing heavily from the Audi parts bin and being in look, feel and overall execution very Audi-like. Some consider it to be a re-badged Audi, others call it the Volkswagen-that-should-have-been-an-Audi – point is, it is right “up there”. The chrome surrounds all over the show – outside and inside the car – lends it a classy, up market feel.


Ambience and ergonomics
Quality is of the essence. Slide inside, and the feel is simultaneously very Audi-like in the overall layout and feel, while looks-wise it leans more towards VW, especially at night when the backlit instruments glow in that oh-so-gorgeous shade of violet. Being a car of German descent, the placing, marking and function of all controls are logical, making it easy to use. There is no groping around in the dark to find what you are looking for.
Between the two front seats, a small storage area is hidden by a central armrest, one that can be utilized to the full, as it does not interfere with the driver’s left arm when using handbrake or gearlever. Two drinks holders are slotted into the centre console – a useful, can’t-do-without-it-anymore feature.
Seating is comfortable and supportive, everything on the console is within reach, and it looks good too.


Equipment
Our drive car came comprehensively equipped, apparently lacking for nothing - adjustable steering wheel, extensive (manual) adjustment for the seats, electric everything else , awesome sound system (with in-dash CD-tray), and a nifty feature in the form of remote functions for boot lid and fuel flap which can be locked with the ignition key – good for service-time and when sent through the valet-wash.
Good-looking perforated leather is supposed to keep clothing and the body cool – still, it is better to keep that climate control, with excellent ventilation qualities, going. On Auto, it maintains a comfortable and steady 22 degrees day and night.
With the exception of a few electric odds and ends, the only real noticeable difference between the 1.8T and 2.8 V6 flagship is a not-so-comprehensive onboard computer and a lack of cruise control. And because of the high price gap between the 1.8Ts and the 2.8 V6, the former is by far the better value.


Accommodation and Space
This is one area where the Passat really shines – it has loads of interior space, the high roofline aiding in making for comfortable long journeys even for large adults (the rear seat taking two big ones with ease).
To top it all, it does not disappoint in the luggage department, a VW and Audi strong point – standard size is 475 litres, while toppling the rear seat allows 800 litres of unhindered space.


Ride Integrity and Safety
According to European crash figures, the Passat is safe car indeed. It has four standard front and side airbags and an on-board system management feature ensuring that in the event of an accident, the central locking system is opened and the fuel pump switched off. Furthermore, it has a four-disc ABS system, electronic brake pressure distribution (EBPD) and an electronic differential lock (EDL).
Suspension is a four-link unit with a spring/damper setup. At the rear, a torsion beam trailing arm (semi-independent suspension) with separate coil springs are featured, while both ends have an anti-roll bar. While the ride is comfortable, making long journeys a pleasure, it is no sports car – the body tends to roll and wallow slightly, especially in tight turns, with the tyres starting to protest while there is still a wide margin of safety to play with. The body roll and noisy tyres tend to be a bit unnerving during push-on motoring, with the overall verdict that the suspension can do with some firming up. It is the Passat’s single biggest point of criticism.


Build Integrity
Our metallic silver-blue drive car with somber black interior seems to be a particularly favoured combination. Since the Passat is built in Europe and brought to SA fully built up, build quality and integrity is top class – there were no apparent blemishes on the paintwork, which was of even colour and texture. Doors closed with a solid Audi-like thunk (the comparison seems inevitable…) and the clean design of the body left no protrusions or items which could be easily damaged. Decorative, protective strips on the doors and bumpers ought to ensure a minimum of parking lot injuries.
Inside too, the German origin is evident – all controls worked with a solid, dedicated and quality feel. There were no rattles or tacky finishes, all materials being of apparent good quality, and all comfortably and neatly finished in wall to wall carpeting.
The Passat is covered by a three-year mechanical warranty and a 12-year anti-corrosion guarantee, thanks to its fully galvanized bodyshell. Service intervals are every 15 000 kilometres.


Performance and economy
The Passat 1.8T is equipped with essentially the same 1.8-litre, turbo-charged five-valve four cylinder engine as found in the VW Golf/Jetta and Audi A3/A4, but mounted cross-wise compared to the other cars. While the engine capacity may sound very little for a car this size, it does deliver - its maximum torque figure is 210 Nm at a mere 1 750 rpm, while peak power is 110 kW at 5 700 rpm. VWSA’s performance figures for the 1.8T include a 0 – 100 km/h dash of 9 seconds and a top speed of 224 km/h, while consumption remains in the order of 9 litres/100 km – impressive for a largish luxury car like this.
Buyers of 1.8T versions have a choice of two gearboxes – a standard five-speed manual or Tiptronic automatic with full auto function and clutchless manual mode. In normal auto mode, shifts are relatively smooth under normal use, but when one starts to push the engine and work the accelerator, shifts become jerky and the ‘box becomes confused. For smoother shifts, rather use the Tiptronic box as a clutchless manual.
Surprisingly, the small-capacity, high-performance engine fills the Passat’s engine bay to the brim – seemingly there is hardly any space left after the engine and plumbing for the aircon and other auxiliary features have been taken care of, but it is neat and tidy nonetheless.

Conclusion
This is a very underrated car, outclassing and outperforming many of its competitors. One of its biggest shortcomings has been an apparent lack of a good model spread, but this has been addressed with VWSA filling the R50 000 price and 32kW performance gap between 110 kW 1.8T and 142 kW 2.8 V6 4Motion flagship models with the 125 kW Passat V5. With a wider footprint in the market, there’s a Passat for everyone – which ought to ensure its success even more.