The styling is a good start and unlike the conservative approach of the earlier Passats, the new one looks a lot more interesting. It still doesn’t have the flair of the 3-series or the street cred of a C-class, but the Passat with its sculpted look and taut surfaces does provide an air of sophistication. The Passat, known as the PQ46, is actually a stretched version of the Golf or PQ35 platform. It uses an electric steering system, all-independent suspension, ESP and eight airbags as well as the more modern common-rail diesel engine.
 
VW’s long-running Pumpe-Duse (PD) direct injection diesels are being replaced by more modern common-rail engines throughout their range. The main reasons for the switch are lower noise, better control over emissions and smoother running. PD is considered to be a mechanical system which has reached its limitations as it involves using one cam-driven pump per cylinder. This imposes limitations on the number of injections per stroke, injection timing, which is cam position dependant, and consistent fuel pressure. CRDi motors use a common high-pressure rail driven by a single pump that is independent of the motor’s cycles. This allows freedom to inject whenever and as many times as desired, making common-rail a more precise system.