Test drive Volkswagen Passat B6 2005 - 2010 sedan

The new Volkswagen Passat is good, but expensive

It seems that it is high time to rename the Volkswagen brand. Under this brand, folk cars have not been produced for a long time. And the new generation Passat is superfluous to confirm this.

Without a doubt, Passat makes an impression. Compared to the predecessor, the new model began to look much more serious. In many ways, this is the merit of the design, but not only its car has become significantly larger than its predecessor (the length increased by 85 mm). As a result, the situation has developed that formally Passat belongs to the class D according to the European classification, but in reality it has clearly outgrown it. He is still a little shorter than such machines as BMW 5-series and Mercedes E-class, but only a little bit. And if you compare the current Passat, let's put it with the previous generation of the BMW 5-series, which was only recently stopped producing, it turns out that the people's car is only 1 cm. In short, the five!

Moreover, the feeling that Volkswagen Passat is trying with all his might to jump into the highest class is most manifested when a person sits in the salon, for example, in the rear seat. Those who traveled to Passat of previous generations are well aware that there are a lot of spaces in the second row of chairs in this car and you can sit freely there, put your foot on your leg. So in the new model there are even more places! The trunk also struck. Its volume is 565 liters, which is a record for this class.

There are enough bells and whistles
And the equipment of the car also impresses. Even in the most modest Passat there is air conditioning, 6 airbags, electric windows and mirrors, heating the front seats, and so on. And in the rich configuration of Highline (it is in this version that we got to the test) there is already a two-zone climate control, a leather decoration of the salon and even an electric drive of the seats. Although some surprise was caused by the fact that the two main adjustments to the chair in length and height were still left mechanical. And the list of options of the new Passat includes guts such as tire pressure sensor, parking sensors and even a system of automatic maintaining a safe distance to ahead of the car! Moreover, the last option is not too crazy money - $ 970.

It is also worth noting the perfectly made dashboard, as well as an electronic ignition key in the form of a key fob. The last chip has long been not something supermodic, but its presence makes the engine starting the engine quite interesting.

By the way, about the engines. There may be several pieces. The least of all this car is suitable for 1.6-liter gasoline units that produce 115 hp. Or completely miserable 102 hp. For such a large and serious machine, a 1.6 -liter engine with a volume of 1.6 liters. This is ridiculous. Perhaps the minimum with which is worth considering the new Passat is a 2.0-liter unit, which produces 150 hp, and even better the same in volume of the engine, but with a turbocharged (already 200 hp). In addition to gasoline units, 1.9 liters will also be supplied to Russia. (102 hp) and 2.0 l. (140 hp).

For serious people
On a car that came to us on a test drive stood a gasoline unit with a capacity of 150 hp, which was paired with an automatic gearbox. And I must say that such a combination made a double impression. If you go to a 150-horsepower Passat with an automatic machine in the city, then, probably, the best combination cannot be imagined. The soft suspension of this car perfectly works out all kinds of irregularities, and the motor confidently disperses the car from one traffic light to another. When moving to the slide, the driver is facilitated by the life of an electromechanical parking brake with the Auto Hold function if you turn it on, that the handbrake itself will be activated when the car stops and stop working after pressing the gas pedal. As a result, if the car is under the slope, then it will not slide back or roll forward! Add to this that sitting in the chairs is really convenient, the radio has a decent sound (the speakers are scattered throughout the cabin), and the air conditioner quickly makes the air temperature of which it is needed. In general, in the city, and even in traffic, it is very convenient to ride Passat.

But if the driver has a desire to feel like a Schumacher, then Passat will not help him too much in this. In fact, active drivers who love to pass turns with a skidhing of everything that is possible, this German will not like it. It turned out too much to the steppe, or something, too serious. And even the creators of Passat do not argue with this. Indeed, according to the new global development strategy of the Volkswagen AG concern, Volkswagen Mark will focus on buyers who primarily need a comfortable car with a good image. And lovers of active drive should lure the Audi brand.

Waiting for discounts?
And now what really embarrassed in the new Volkswagen Passat. This is its price. Formally, the cost of the car starts at $ 24,691. But for this money, a car is offered in a simple version of Tredline and, most importantly, with an engine with a capacity of 102 hp. These mares are too few. Cars with a 2.0-liter 150-horsepower unit are already sold from $ 28,408. The Passat tested by us is in the car dealership and at all $ 37,590. The amount is more than decent, because, for example, the BMW 3-series is not the worst equipment sold only on A little more expensive. But BMW, whatever one may say, are considered more prestigious than Volkswagen. If we compare, Passat with cars such as Honda Accord, Ford Mondeo or Opel Vectra, it turns out that they are much cheaper.

So Volkswagen will have a very difficult struggle for buyers. And it is possible that the German concern will face Passat with the same problem that happened to the Golf model the cost of this model was too high (average configurations cost $ 23-28 thousand) and the car is still not buying badly (Volkswagen even began to make discounts To attract customers to Golf). After all, if you add a little more to the cost of a well-equipped Passat, you can take a good car of class E. And this will not be some kind of Korean. For example, the Volvo S80 is sold in Russia from $ 37-40 thousand, $ 36.5-38 thousand are the initial versions of Peugeot 607 or Saab 9-5, and $ 42.5 thousand are asked for the basic Cadillac CTS.

 

Source: Auto.mail.ru