Volkswagen Passat Review (2005)

Unbelievably the Volkswagen Passat has been in production for over 28 years (since 1973) and it is nearly 10 years (1996) since we have seen a new model. The new Volkswagen Passat (generation number six) is due to be released in the UK on the 24th June 2005.

The new Passat competes in both the family car and executive saloon markets, a rival to the Ford Mondeo, Vauxhall Vectra, Peugeot 407,BMW 3 Series Review , Honda Accord Review , Mazda6 Review , Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Volvo S60 Review . Volkswagen UK expect to sell around 32,000 Passats in a full year - 19,000 saloons and 13,000 estates. The estate is due for release later in the year (November 2005).

The new Passat will be sold mainly with TDI engines and also FSI petrol engines that are around 15 per cent more fuel efficient than conventional petrol units. Volkswagen has established a strong reputation among business and private buyers for the performance, durability and economy of its TDI diesel engines and expects these to account for 81 per cent of UK Passat sales. The best-selling single model in the range is expected to be the SE 2.0-litre TDI 140 PS with six-speed manual transmission.

At the recent launch we drove both the 2.0 Sport FSI (150 PS) and the 2.0 Sport TDI (140 PS). The Petrol powered FSI has an on the road price of £19,075 and the Diesel TDI is priced at £19,810.

We spent only an hour with each car, so this review will not be in-depth but will outline our findings and the specification of the cars.