Volkswagen Passat Review
Published: 30th May 2005
Volkswagen Passat
Comfort and Refinement
The new Passat features a logically designed interior with excellent head and leg room in both the front and rear. The ergonomically designed seats are height adjustable for the driver and front passenger (from SE trim upwards). A new rail mechanism allows for more subtle adjustments of the front seating length. A six-way electronically adjustable drivers seat is available on SE trim upwards. In this case the drivers seat is equipped with an electrically adjustable lumbar support.
Great attention has been paid to the comfort of rear seat passengers and there are three contoured rear seats with good side bolstering.
How It Looks - Exterior
The new Passat has benefited by sharing some of its DNA with its bigger brother the Phaeton. The new car is larger than the outgoing Passat, it is 62mm longer at 4765mm and 74mm wider at 1820mm (without the door mirrors).
The new Passat’s chrome radiator grille, with V-shape flowing up through the bonnet, combined with headlights, bonnet and bumpers, defines the new Volkswagen ‘face’. I feel that the grille is little bit too much like Audi’s new corporate face but nevertheless it is attractive and purposeful.
The Passat’s headlights have been further improved, particularly the main beam, while the optional Bi-Xenon units (£ 795) also provide better long-distance visibility than before. The directional headlights, included with Bi-Xenon lights, turn with the steering to a maximum swiveling angle of 15 degrees, providing better visibility around bends. When the vehicle is static, these are able to turn to 35 degrees in relation to the car’s axis.
For the first time in the Passat, indicators are housed within the door mirrors and the components of the twin round taillights now use fast-response LED technology, introduced in the Phaeton. The central high-mounted stop light also uses LED technology and is situated beneath the rear window. LEDs react much more quickly than conventional light bulbs, are more durable and consume less energy.
Like the Phaeton, the Passat’s tail lights are installed in two areas. The indicator LED's, the tail light LED's and the brake light LED's are installed externally in the wing. The rear fog light and the reversing light are installed internally in the boot area, and use conventional light bulbs as they are used only occasionally.
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