Volkswagen Passat

Though the Passat isn’t very different than the previous model, it still is a quite a leap forward

Published on May 04, 2011 07:00:00 AM

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The real sense of luxury in the Passat comes from its suspension setup. Changes to the suspension have left the German saloon supple yet well controlled, and with a surprisingly good level of crash-free bump absorption, you don’t feel most imperfections. The firm edge of the previous Passat has been completely ironed out. Be it craters, broken tarmac or unfinished stretches of road, the new Passat is more than a match for varied Indian road conditions.

At town speeds the Passat simply excels thanks to its amazing low speed ride, delivered to some extent by the 215/55-R16 Pirelli Cinturatos. The car also does an excellent job of cutting out road noise, but at higher speeds you do get a bit of wind noise around the A-pillars.

The new Passat feels quite composed at high speeds but it doesn’t have the same rock-solid demeanour of the previous Passat. That’s because VW has softened the suspension in the interest of comfort and the big nose tends to bob gently on an uneven road. There is a fair bit of torque steer and you have to hold onto the wheel, especially on uneven surfaces. The Passat changes direction eagerly but, it isn’t particularly engaging to drive. The steering is smooth and accurate but is merely a tool for pointing the front wheels, not gaining any kind of feel for the tyre / road interface.

The all-round solid disc brakes provide strong stopping power and the pedal has superb feel and is well modulated. All in all, the chassis proves capable at stopping, going
and turning and does it all without any drama.