2006 VW Passat: The Phaeton Junior?

AutoWeek has a review of the new VW Passat including some nice pictures.
They also compare it against the chosen rivals Mercedes-Benz C-Class and BMW 3 Series.

Here are some quotes:

Volkswagen has made little secret it wants the sixth-generation Passat to leapfrog its usual mid-class rivals such as the Nissan Maxima and take on upscale cars like the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. That’s one hell of a task.

Only five minutes into our first drive of the European model, though, and it seems VW may have succeeded. Wolfsburg replaced the old Passat with a car that is more agile, more rewarding to drive hard and yet better isolated from the outside world.

The upmarket aspirations are reflected in the Passat’s styling. With that bold chrome grille taking pride of place up front and a nicely integrated rear, there is a new degree of visual flare to the car.

They also have some complaints about some details in the interior which look cheap, because of using hard plastic. Of course this shouldn't happen or let's say you shouldn't recognize it. But it's always a small path between getting more luxury and staying affordable. I think Volkswagen is on a good way by focussing on the true meaning of their name "Volkswagen" and I believe that Volkswagen made a good statement with the new VW Passat.

Source: AutoWeek

Labels: VW