Test Car Specifications
Model: 2024 Volkswagen Passat Life eTSI 150 DSG
Price: Passat from £38,505 (£42,755 as tested)
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder mild-hybrid petrol
Transmission: seven-speed automatic, front-wheel drive
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Emissions: 124g/km
Economy: 51.8mpg
0-62mph: 9.2 seconds
Top speed: 138mph
Boot space: 690-1,920 litres
Styling
The new Passat has inherited some of VW's latest design language, and we're not entirely convinced by it. Somehow, the look feels a bit too bulbous, particularly for a car that's trying to compete with some premium rivals, but it's hardly offensive. From the back, it actually looks quite upmarket, and that's true regardless of specification, with the image remaining broadly unchanged whether you choose a top-of-the-range model or not, and regardless of which colour scheme you pick.
Interior
The Passat's cabin is clean and minimalist, with VW's recent disgust for switchgear all too apparent. Dashboard buttons are few and far between, but there is a massive central touchscreen with touch-sensitive sliders beneath. The screen is shared with other products in the VW range, and though the software is an improvement on what we've seen in earlier iterations, it's still far from perfect. It's arguably too big, and it's certainly too distracting, thanks to functions hidden in fiddly menus. You can personalise some shortcuts, which helps a bit, but it's hardly the ergonomic triumph we expect from VW. The sliders are even worse.
In fairness, the column-mounted gear selector works better than you might expect, the digital instrument display is great and the build quality is generally very good, with some smart, well-considered materials kicking about and solid engineering. It's modern, airy and pleasant enough, and the touchscreen tech is only a minor let-down.
Practicality
Big estate cars really ought to be practical, and the Passat delivers on that front. The 690-litre boot is enormous by any measure, and we can't imagine many customers will fill it very often. If they do, they can always fold down the rear seats to leave more than 1,900 litres of cargo space. But that would forego the rear cabin space, which is very useful indeed. Unsurprisingly, the Passat is happy carrying four adults, but four adults will also be very happy being carried in the Passat. The rear legroom is ample, and headroom is more than sufficient, which means even six-foot-tall passengers will be happy enough in the back. Even on a longer drive.
Performance
We sampled VW's 1.5-litre, four-cylinder mild-hybrid powertrain in the Tiguan and weren't especially impressed, but it makes much more sense in the Passat. As in the Tiguan, it promises hugely impressive economy and more than sufficient power, but unlike the Tiguan, the Passat's more aerodynamic body allows it to deliver more convincingly.
With 150hp at the disposal of the driver's right foot and a seven-speed automatic gearbox transmitting that power to the front wheels, performance is adequate, if not especially exciting. But a 0-62mph time of just over nine seconds is enough to keep up with traffic, and the efficiency makes up for any shortfall in power.
Officially, the big estate will manage 51.8mpg, and on a long run in the real world it can easily get into that ballpark. It's diesel-esque economy figures from a turbocharged petrol engine in the front of a roomy estate, and if the mild-hybrid system puts you off, don't let it. You barely notice until you get to the petrol station.
As in the Tiguan, though, it isn't fault-free. The hill hold assistance tech and stop-start system still get in each other's way, although somehow the combination of mild-hybrid system and seven-speed automatic gearbox doesn't seem to jar as much as it does in the SUV.
Ride & Handling
Unsurprisingly, the Passat's focus is definitely on comfort over handling. It's not that it drives badly, though the steering is a bit light and inert, but it doesn't engage the driver or encourage any kind of abuse. Instead, it's much happier driving smoothly and efficiently, and it's very good at that. Particularly in lower specifications, where the tyres have a bit more sidewall and absorb the bumps as a result. But the suspension is the real reason for the comfort, and there's plenty of that.
It doesn't quite waft over the bumps, but the glide is relatively uninterrupted on the motorway, and it's absorbent enough around town. Of course, that absorbency means there's a bit of body roll in corners, but we can't imagine many Passat drivers will be ragging their cars on country lanes too often, so it barely even registers as a complaint. For everyday driving, the Passat is quite an amiable companion, and that's a far more important quality.
Value
With prices starting at £38,490, the Passat doesn't come cheap. In fact, you'd save more than £2,000 by going for a base-spec Skoda Superb, which we think is fractionally better looking. That said, the basic Passat Life is incredibly well equipped, with 17-inch alloy wheels, a rear-view camera and a digital instrument display all included as standard. Three-zone climate control, massage seats and adaptive cruise control are also thrown in, along with an electric tailgate and keyless entry. You don't really need anything else.
However, VW is still providing more if you want it. Sports seats and a panoramic roof, as well as more upmarket massage seats, are included with the Elegance, while the R-Line gets 18-inch alloys, sports seats and steel pedals to give it a sportier look. But with those two models starting at £41,590 and £42,840 respectively, there's little need to choose them. The money could be better spent on a few options for the Life model.
Verdict
The Passat may not be the most exciting car on the market, or even the most attractive, but there's no denying that it's very good at what it does. Roomy, comfortable and well-equipped, even comparatively low-specification examples make a lot of sense, and we'd be happy to recommend it. That's even true with this 1.5-litre engine, which we found a tad jarring in the Tiguan, but which proved more than capable in the Passat.
