The Passat has been part of the automotive landscape for a long time. Its newest incarnation - the 6th generation Volkswagen New Passat - is the newest step in what can only be described as an evolution of the Ultimate Sales Rep Car. The review carThe car we reviewed was a 2005 Volkswagen New Passat Highline 1.9 TDI 130, with a 1.9 litre turbodiesel engine which delivers 130 bhp. Driving experienceThe New Passat comes from a long heritage of workhorses. The car we tried didn't have much of a mule feeling however. It doesn't quite pull off a black-stallion impression (like the logo on the Ferrari bonnets), but it is a solid piece of engineering. The Passat is one of those cars that doesn't quite put the executive cruisers from Mercedes and Audi to shame, but it is an excellent alternative at a far more reasonable price.It is not a long time ago that estate cars were purely utilitarian, but things have come a long way, and many people are growing to realise that estates are the best way to use car platforms: if a car has an overhanging back, you may as well use its footprint for something useful - it is the argument for hatchbacks over sedans, but it is equally applicable to estate vehicles.As expected, driving the Passat is very different from driving the Golf, but the traits that made the hatchback a rip-roaring success work for the Passat as well: Think of it as a battleship-sized Golf.Volkswagen realises that its Passats are largely used for business (An estimated 70% of passats are used in business fleets, with the remaining 30% going to the private market), and it is obvious that the car has been designed with this in mind. The seats in our review car were clearly made for long-distance driving, which is why the Diesels make an excellent choice: If you are going to be a motorway warrior, it makes sense to do it with the most capable engines.The Passat's handling is very good - especially on straight-ish roads at motorway speeds. On especially curvy roads, the previous Passat model felt like a wet mop on a hardwood floor, but the new Passat has addressed the problem: The face-lifted model is far stiffer, and the suspension seems to be better tuned to bends, twists and curves.Some new toys have arrived from the higher end of the Volkswagen range, including an electronic parking brake (which can also be used to bring the car to a full stop when you are on the move - something we didn't really fancy trying, seeing as Volkswagen probably like their cars in one piece) and a high-tech cruise control system that uses radar to keep a healthy distance from the car in front.With every creature-comfort available, a powerful engine, excellent build quality, and the Volkswagen logo on the bonnet, the Passat is a very desirable option both for families and company drivers. It seems likely that Volkswagen are going after the market occupied by the BMW 3-series, the Audi A3 and the smaller Jaguars, rather than its previous competitors: The Vectras and Mondeos of the world. Design and usabilityThe new Passat is bigger, and far bolder than the model it replaces, yet remains the exact same weight. The rear lights in particular have an air of grandeur about them, but the car is more aggressive in general. The front grille has a bit of Golf GTI in it, and is an obvious response to the angry-looking design Audi is rolling out.In fact, it seems as if the new Passat has taken a few design cues from its larger luxury sibling - the Phaeton - rather than its smaller cousin, the Volkswagen Jetta (which used to be called Bora, and before that it was the Jetta again. Don't ask us, we don't get it either).The cockpit is well laid out, and the driving position is very comfortable indeed, both on short trips and on longer journeys. A lot of thought has gone into the design of the instrument panel and the driving experience as a whole. An excellent stereo also helps, of course.The front and back seats offer an ocean of space for drivers and passengers of all sizes and most shapes.The massive load capacity in the back (nearly 500 litres with the seats up, 1600 litres with the seats folded flat) means that this isn't a car for your weekly shop - you could do your entire Christmas shopping in one fell swoop, and still have enough space left for a couple of Christmas Puddings. Who is it for?The new Passat is the ideal ride for the quality-yet-economy conscious company car driver. It would double as a very good family car as well, although at this price, we expect that most families will be looking for MPVs instead. So, should you buy one?Hey, why not? The Passat makes a strong contender, and is in effect the bridge between the executive-class cruisers from its countrymen Audi and BMW, and the rest of the large family cars. The estate is an especially good choice, because of its vast extra storage space. Which model would we choose?A car this size needs a bit of oomph to get going, and the model range reflects this. The smallest petrol model is a 1.6 litre, which is capable enough, but gets easily bogged down if you are filling the car with stuff and people. The line-up continues with a variety of engines, in even steps up to the relatively raunchy 2.8 litre V6 engine. On the diesel side, the 1.9 and 2.0 litre diesels are very capable indeed. If that isn't enough, there are two very lovely 2.5 litre V6 diesels as well.It is difficult to take a pick among all those goodies. For the fun factor, a 2 litre turbocharged petrol engine is the pick of the bunch. The 193 horsepower V6 is even better, of course, but comes at a premium - both in the form of insurance group 17A and a combined fuel consumption cycle of only 26 mpg.For the all-round choice, the 1.9 litre 130 horsepowers TDI engine is an absolute winner - it is powerful enough, yet returns a good 47.9 mpg combined cycle (and an excellent 58.9 on the motorway).
