Refreshing face of modern technology

Pros : Elegant and beautifully designed, nice interiors, low turning radius and best in class fuel efficiency

Cons : Low ground clearance, suspension is cramped; gear box is stiff and creates problems

I am driving Volkswagen’s Passat for over a year now and am much satisfied with the overall performance of the vehicle. Looks are good but simple and are not in accordance with the other cars of the same segment which looks more stylish and sexy like Honda’s Accord but Volkswagen has distinct features and offers something which resembles a separate class.

I have a daily commute of 45 kms and I love to drive everyday, feeling of great engine power and cabin’s soothing and extremely comfortable interiors makes it a nice ride. Power is good but engine is a bit noisy and suspension is not equipped to hold dirty road vibrations well and transfers them to the passengers especially rear passengers suffers the glitch. Fuel efficiency is best in class and offers close to 16kms on highway which is great for this class of vehicle and fetches close to 12kms in city. Gear box is stiff and sometimes create problems but overall it’s a nice highway cruise and you will love to drive it on highway.

Space inside is enormous especially legroom and boot space. Handling at high speeds is great and it grips the road firmly and turns like high speed boat turns on water. Sunroof is a waste and a/c requires rework, needs frequent servicing but still rear passengers feel the heat.

I hope the negative aspects will be taken care off and we will see an all improved Passat soon, one thing which always look awkward to me is why all the international brands dump the outdated technology in the developing markets first and then improve it to reach standards.