2010 Volkswagen Passat review

[VolkswagenDubai]

The Passat is Volkswagen’s entry into the mid-size sedan market – it’s larger than the Jetta, but smaller than the luxury barge that is the Phaeton.

The Passat name is well established for Volkswagen, having been around since 1973. The current incarnation is the sixth generation, which has been around since 2005 – quite a while in car years. As well as two ‘standard’ versions of the Passat, there is also a sporty derivation available called the Passat R36.

The car will happily seat five adults and has a 565-litre boot, the lid of which can be opened by remote control.

The entry-level engine is still a powerful one, with 200bhp coming from the turbocharged 2.0-ltre unit, which changes gears using a dual clutch DSG transmission. The next engine up is a 3.2-litre V6 that makes 250bhp and is mated to the same gearbox. Both these versions are front-wheel drive.

The R36 model comes with a 3.6-litre V6 engine that develops 300bhp and drives all four wheels through a six-speed DSG gearbox. The R36 comes with 18-inch alloy wheels and some exterior glitz in the form of a racier grille, twin chrome exhausts and sports seats.

Available features in the Passat range include adaptive cruise control, dual zone air conditioning. Bluetooth phone connectivity and a high-spec Dynaudio sound system, as well as a rear-seat DVD entertainment system and electric everything – windows, seats, and mirrors.

The Passat received a maximum five-star rating in the European EuroNCAP crash test programme. Safety features include ABS, ESP (electronic stability control), electronic brakeforce distribution and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

SOURCE: http://automiddleeast.com/2010-volkswagen-passat/