The new Volkswagen Passat is the European Car of the Year for 2015. This full sized sedan, the 8th generation Passat was launched last year and has been well received over in Europe. Well, this award solidifies that I suppose.
I had viewed the B8 Passat sometime late last year and the good thing about this new one is that it isn't very uncle-like anymore. It sits low and wide instead of upright and a little dull. It looks genuinely sporty. Much like how Volkswagen removed some of that extra roof height from the Mk6 Golf and morphed it into the lower, sportier Mk7 version.
The interior too is a piece of work too. It has that look of simple luxury to it. I love it how the air vents are lined up in a single unbroken line from the left to the right of the dashboard. The ergonomics are good, as it tactility of its controls, its ambiance overall has risen a notch or two and the overall interior build quality is now very, very, very close to what you see and feel in an Audi A6. For a Volkswagen, it is luxurious. This tells me that the next Audi A6 will raise the bar higher still. So basically in terms of exterior and interior packaging, I like this new Passat.
This car isn't sold here in Malaysia as yet but I suppose it will be soon as stocks of the Passat B7 are cleared. Engine specification could be the same 1.8liter TSI coupled to the seven speed DSG. Loads of tech equipment too as usual. Lots of promise and potential, this Passat.
PRESS RELEASE
THE NEW PASSAT IS “CAR OF THE YEAR 2015”
Coveted honour as Europe's “Car of the Year” goes to the eighth
generation of the best-seller
Wolfsburg/Geneva, 2 March 2015 – Europe's “Car of the Year 2015”
is a Volkswagen: the new Passat wins the prestigious award, which
is presented every year by the international “Car of the Year” jury.
The winner was announced on the afternoon before the Geneva
International Motor Show.
“We are extremely proud of this accolade,” explained Prof. Martin
Winterkorn, CEO of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, at the prize-giving
ceremony in Geneva. “In the new Passat we have again succeeded in
developing a car that sets the standards for its class in terms of
technology and quality. This honour is a tremendous confirmation for the
work of our engineers, designers and the entire team. The new Passat
shows that the Volkswagen brand has the right answers to the challenges
of our time.”
Heinz-Jakob Neusser, Member of the Board of Management Volkswagen
Brand for the Development Division, received the award for the new
Passat: “We are delighted by the honour of “Car of the Year 2015”. This
accolade has a very special significance for us because it is awarded by
independent international trade journalists. In addition, the honour is
known to have a high standing for our customers.”
One of the oldest and most well-known awards in Europe, “Car of the
Year” has been honouring the best new releases in the car industry every
year since 1964. The jury, consisting of 58 European motoring journalists
from 22 countries, had nominated seven candidates ahead of the final. In
the preceding months, these candidates had undergone detailed testing,
comparisons and evaluations based on criteria such as economy,
comfort, safety, driving characteristics, functionality, design and technical
progress. In the 52nd edition of the traditional competition, the new Passat
clearly triumphed over its six rivals in the final with a total score of 340
points. Two current Volkswagen models have already received the
coveted award in the recent past, namely the Polo in 2010 and the Golf in
2013. In addition to the “Golden Steering Wheel 2014” and “Auto Trophy
2014”, the top position as “Car of the Year” was preceded by several
accolades at home and abroad. The new Passat, in all its versions, is one
of the most successful mid-class cars in the world and with 1.1 million
units (in 2014) one of the highest-volume series of the Volkswagen Group
worldwide. Now in its eighth generation, the best-seller is regarded as one
of the most innovative cars in its class. Thanks to advanced engineering
methods, it was possible to introduce a significantly more dynamic design
(including lower body, longer wheelbase, larger wheels). Despite the
unaltered length in the interior dimensions, the new Passat has still
expanded considerably. At the same time the latest technologies have
been added: they include systems such as Active Info Display (a
completely digital instrument cluster), extendable head-up display, and
also systems such as an app-based Rear Seat Entertainment for tablets,
Front Assist with City Emergency Braking and Pedestrian Monitoring as
well as three further global firsts: Emergency Assist (vehicle stops in
emergency), Trailer Assist (assisted manoeuvring with a trailer) and
Traffic Jam Assist. The new Passat is available with ten direct injection
turbocharged petrol and diesel engines which cover a power range from
88 kW / 120 PS to 206 kW / 280 PS.
The Passat GTE* – the first Passat to feature a plug-in hybrid drive – will
arrive at dealerships beginning in late summer of this year. The 1.4-litre
TSI engine develops a power of 115 kW / 156 PS; the electric motor
produces 85 kW / 115 PS, while the maximum torque of the plug-in hybrid
drive system is 400 Newton metres. Its power and torque are utilised in
an extremely eco-friendly and efficient way. The car's NEDC fuel
consumption (for hybrid vehicles) is less than 2.0 l/100 km and 13.0
kWh/100 km; these values equate to CO2 emissions of less than 45 g/km.
In combination with the TSI, this results in a driving range of over 1,000
kilometres with a full 50-litre tank and fully charged battery.
Passat GTE is not on sale yet. Preliminary data: Passat GTE: Fuel consumption
in l/100 km: combined: less than 2l; CO2 emissions combined in g/km: less than
45.
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