How can one not acknowledge Dieselgate at a time like this? The emissions-cheating scandal that erupted in September 2015 has not only meant a great deal of cynicism towards VW Group brands, but it’s altered the course of the group’s – and the rest of the motor industry’s – future products indefinitely. The group is cutting 30 000 jobs worldwide as part of a huge saving plan, and completely throttling back on all motorsport activities in the name of securing enough dough to pay back its $4.3 billion fine and sew up its $20 billion settlement to buy back and compensate 480 000 TDI owners in the US. It’s little wonder in 2015 the company posted its first net loss in two decades – 1.6 billion euros’ worth.
As VW, how do you come back from this? How do you counter the naysayers with their middle-class indignation and self-righteous hand-wringing? You come out swinging, that’s what you do. Enter VW’s handsome Passat, now with TDI propulsion – cue an ominous dun dun daaah. The eighth generation may have been a long time coming, but now all of a sudden it’s been thrust into the limelight with a heftier weight of expectation on its shoulders than Atlas himself. The pedigree is there, at least, with a badge that’s nearly 35 years old. Cast an eye from the svelte R-Line package – which comes as standard, I might add – and LED headlights with their in-yer-face sparkle to the Walter de Silva penmanship, and it instantly elbows itself a fair amount of clear breathing space from all of the Dieselgate knife sharpening. When compared with its predecessor, this has desirability that ranks off the scale. This must be one of the best-proportioned sedans on the market; from the rear three-quarter, it could be a VW Phaeton, for goodness’ sake. And take a look at those yummy 19-inch Verona booties filling the wheel arches. It’s Wolfsburg putting its best foot forward … ironically just as its VW Group sibling – the Audi A4 – appears to be curling up into its styling shell. Dig a bit deeper, however, and you’ll find this people’s car is not just a bit of window dressing.
There’s the power plant, for one. While VW initially launched with 1.4- and 2.0 TSI petrols, available up to a GTI-rivalling, front-tyre-tearing 163 kW, our test unit brandishes the offending 2.0l TDI that bore the brunt of the 2015 emissions scandal – 130 kW/350 Nm and a claimed combined consumption of 5.0 l/100 km. And because VeeDub executives have presumably been through an in-house confessional, that’s an accurate figure you’ll be able to achieve every day, just as we have done. The all-around drivability of the TDI – big torque reserves to get you off the line, followed by the need for mere prods on the throttle to keep you coasting smoothly on the motorway in top gear – suits the Passat, just as it’s always done. There’s a great consistency of pedal feel, and don’t think just because it’s accompanied by a diesel gurgle this means it lacks any charisma. Courtesy of VW’s MQB under-pinnings from the Mk VII Golf, it’s temptingly fun to zoom around in. Rigid and strong, the lightweight chassis means it’s pointy, and there’s a rather decent differentiation between Comfort, Normal and Sport via the standard drive mode selector. Thanks to nicely weighted steering, there’s nary a corner it won’t carve up either, holding a predetermined line without so much as an inch’s deviation from your input. I’ve had the opportunity to drive an A4 and a Passat back-to-back on the same demanding handling circuit at Kyalami (though they were the petrol models) and, believe you me, it is the sensible VW that is more gifted dynamically.
‘What about the practical stuff?’, I hear you ask. Well, it’s not as though they were too fixated on Dieselgate to drop the ball here. Up front, you’re faced with a reworked air-vent layout, structured in comfortingly horizontal lines across the dash. It’s soothing and familiar like only a VW can be, but finessed like never before to evoke a premium car feel. And then there’s the infotainment system, which doesn’t offer satnav as standard (a R16 000 option), but does come with a bunch of Eco-app trivialities you could probably very easily do without – and a lap timer, which is completely bizarre – but the passenger space is class leading, as is luggage stowage at 519l. Optionally available is VW’s version of an all-digital driver display, which somewhat inexplicably works much better, albeit with somewhat reduced versatility, than Audi’s equivalent Digital Cockpit.
It is clear Volkswagen has done all it can with the latest Passat TDI to eradicate any middle-of-the-road ambivalence that may have plagued its predecessor, but there’s still one knotty issue that could scupper its success. In the eyes of many, can the maker of people’s cars really be trusted again? A matter of opinion, perhaps, but VW Group sales worldwide last year seem to suggest the answer is an emphatic yes. 2016 sales managed to hit the 10.3 million mark (a 3.8% increase), allowing the group to claim back the crown of world’s largest automaker it sadly lost to Toyota in 2012. While Volkswagen execs are by no means out of the murky Dieselgate waters just yet, it would seem – as far as consumers are concerned – we can begin to draw the line underneath the sorry tale once and for all.
In a nutshell:
Highs
Finessed good looks, practical and frugal, the ideal engine for a Passat – as long as you don’t mind the accusatory glance at your bumper badge now and then.
Lows
Six-speed DSG isn’t the be-all-and-end-all transmission we remember, eco-apps a bit painful considering the Dieselgate context.
- Engine: 1 968 cc, 4-cylinder turbodiesel
- Power: 130 kW @ 3 600 rpm, 350 Nm @ 1 500–3 500 rpm
- Performance: 0–100 km/h in 8.2 sec, top speed 228 km/h
- Tyres: 245/24/R19
- Economy: 5.0 ℓ/100 km
- Transmission: 6-speed DSG
- CO2 emissions: 132 g/km
- Price: R493 900
- Competitors
Audi A4 2.0 TDI S-tronic
Even the base-spec ‘Design’ oozes desirability and drivability with its enhanced drivetrain. But for nearly a R100k premium, we’d hope it would – and that’s before you start ticking options. 0–100 km/h in 7.7 sec, top speed 237 km/h, power 140 kW/400 Nm, price R576 000
Ford Fusion 2.0 TDCI Titanium
Cavernous space and waftability like only an American sedan can deliver. Hints of Mustang and Aston Martin to the exterior styling are alsoappealing, and it splits the competition on price. Massively underrated. 0–100 km/h in 8.6 sec, top speed 225 km/h, power 132 kW/400 Nm, price R553 900
