Milton Keynes – The new Passat – Volkswagen’s most aerodynamic estate car to date – is now available to order in the UK. It comes with impressive efficiency credentials that are sure to appeal to families and fleet managers, plus a revised interior with a new cockpit, large displays and a new infotainment menu structure. Prices start from £38,400 (RRP OTR).
More than 34 million Volkswagen Passats have been sold worldwide since the covers came off the first generation in 1973, and the ninth-generation model is set to continue this success.
The new Passat is the most aerodynamic Volkswagen estate the company has produced so far. Its coefficient of drag (Cd) is just 0.25 – lower than many sports cars – making this a particularly economical and cost-effective choice for anyone looking for a modern estate car.
The sleek architecture and proportions of the Passat have clearly changed: the surfaces are more sculptural, the lines more dynamic and the dimensions larger. The wheelbase is 50 mm longer than the previous Passat Estate (2,841 mm), the car is 144 mm longer (4,917 mm), and the width has increased by 20 mm to 1,852 mm. Meanwhile, the height (with aerial) is almost unchanged at 1,506 mm.
The car is built on the latest version of Volkswagen Group’s hugely successful modular transverse matrix platform, MQB evo, which allows for a host of new systems to be included and is being used also for the new Tiguan.
Enhancements to the interior for this ninth-generation Passat are nothing less than expected for such a historically successful model. A completely redesigned digital cockpit incorporates the latest-generation (MIB4) infotainment matrix. Many system settings can be controlled using the new IDA voice control, and the large display in front of the driver has a new surface coating to reduce reflections and glare, removing the need for an overhang for providing shade.
The intuitive head-up driver display has been improved, while newly developed ergoActive seats with massage, ventilation and heating functions offer supreme travel comfort. With more space for five people, thanks to the longer wheelbase, and up to 1,920 litres of rear storage space, the new Passat Estate is an ideal all-rounder for business and leisure.
Comfort is enhanced further by high-grade materials and the DCC Pro adaptive chassis control, which represents a new level of running gear technology and sets benchmarks in the mid-sized class. The Passat is also equipped for the first time with a Vehicle Dynamics Manager. It controls the electronic differential locks (XDS) and shock absorbers in the DCC Pro system for optimum handling characteristics.
A new acoustic package introduces double glazing and an acoustic film laminated on to the side windows, reducing noise levels inside the new Passat Estate to those experienced in the upper mid-sized and premium classes.
New Passat trims, engines and prices
The new Passat is available in three trims: Life, Elegance and R-Line, and all derivatives come with a six- or seven-speed automatic direct-shift gearbox (DSG) as standard.
Versions with the frugal 1.5 TSI 150 PS mild hybrid engine are available from 25 January, and new plug-in eHybrids with outputs of 204 and 272 PS will join the line-up later in 2024.
The plug-in eHybrid drives are a completely new development. They combine a high-tech turbocharged petrol engine (1.5 TSI evo2) with a new 19.7 kWh battery (net energy content), which Volkswagen forecasts will offer a range of up to 100 kilometres (depending on equipment) – turning the new Passat eHybrids into everyday all-electric vehicles for the majority of UK drivers. The battery can be charged at AC points with 11 kW instead of the previous 3.6 kW, and both Passat Estate eHybrid models can be plugged in at rapid public DC points, with up to 50 kW charging capacity.
The mild hybrid comes with Active Cylinder Management (ACTplus), which deactivates the TSI engine when conditions allow, enabling the Passat to coast along with zero tailpipe emissions.
