New Volkswagen Passat review, test drive

Big, very comfortable, luxuriously equipped and seriously capable, the Passat is a car that has been getting progressively more successful with every generation. The new, eighth-generation Passat is likley to be one of the most successful Volkswagens around and is a car that is even more luxurious than the one it replaces.

It isn't very successful in India yet, primarily because of the mismatch between the asking price and the amount of respect the brand commands from luxury car buyers, but VW is hoping to change all that with this car.

So what have they got that will excite you on the new Passat? Well, for a start, it's a really attractive looking sedan that looks expensive and attractive enough to pass muster as a luxury car. The chin is hung low, the neat looking grille is really wide and the long headlights that wrap around the nose look very upmarket. There's also an air of sophistication on this car not present on the earlier Passat. Although the rear of the car is quite derived, there are some interesting details like the scooped out ledge between the boot lid and bumper.

Built around VW's new MQB platform, the new car is around 85kg lighter and more efficient than the car it replaces. The new car also has a longer wheelbase, despite being shorter in overall length and lower slung. Still, cabin length is up by 33mm, there's more rear headroom and the boot is bigger too.