Volkswagen Passat Variant V6 FSi 4Motion test

Intro: Versatile

Presented at the 2005 Geneva motor show, the Volkswagen Passat has been given three new engines as well as the renowned all-wheel drive 4 Motion-system, to celebrate its one year anniversary.

Esthetique: Versatile

Presented at the 2005 Geneva motor show, the Volkswagen Passat has been given three new engines as well as the renowned all-wheel drive 4 Motion-system, to celebrate its one year anniversary.

Motorization: New technologies

Concerning the power plants, there is the 150 brake horsepower 2-litre petrol version, a 140 brake horsepower 2-litre diesel and a 250 brake horsepower 3.2-litre V6 petrol. Contrary to what one may believe, this is not a derivative of the Golf R32 block but an all-new engine. We test drove this version, equipped with the DSG gearbox, which can be had on option. Automatically, we got the impression that the motor doesn’t have a real sport vocation. There is no god reason to push it through the rev band; its primary strong point is its torque. The Passat needs 7.2 seconds to reach 100km/h from a standing start and has a top speed of 243 km/h, which isn’t too bad for a sedan that weighs in at nearly 1715 kilos. But when it comes to sensation, the sonority of the direct injection V6 is more impressive than any true acceleration. Anyway, at Volkswagen they are putting more emphasis on passive safety than the car’s sporting capabilities. The Passat was awarded five stars from the Euro NCAP test. An understandable choice despite the fact that we deplore the absence of steering wheel shift paddles to command the DSG gearbox. In sequential mode, everything passes through the gear shift, which isn’t a gauge of rapidity.

On the road: 4Motion

Concerning the 4Motion system, a quick reminder is in order. It is not an all-wheel drive with a constant distribution. In normal mode, the front axle receives 90% of the power versus 10% for the rear but this proportion can be varied just until the back gets 100% and the front 0. To operate, the system compares the differences in rotation speed between the front and rear axles. For Volkswagen, this system has two advantages: silence and rapidity. It is true when it comes to silence but as for rapidity, we must say that sometimes the system has difficulty getting going in extreme conditions. At first, the front end gets most of the power then the rear is taken car of and then finally the power is divided between the two axles, which allows it to free up. An exploit for a saloon, which finds itself on frozen ground equipped with only winter tyres. With this same equipment on an ice circuit, the Passat proves to be very efficient in terms of grip. However, the 4Motion is of no help when setting the car up for a corner. It is more prudent, remembering that the car weighs a hefty 1.7 tons, to slow down to transfer the weight over the front axle in order to get the most from its four-wheel drive. The Passat Variant doted with the 4 Motion system is quite versatile. At the wheel, the driver benefits from all the comfort found in a proper saloon with the added possibility of taking on worsening weather conditions without having to slap on a set of snow chains.