VW Passat: Revolutionize the sedan market again?

Saturday, October 22, 2005

VW Passat: Revolutionize the sedan market again?

The Car Connection is asking if VW’s latest Passat will revolutionize the sedan market again?

The all-new-for-2006 Passat improves on those complaints and many more, becoming more powerful and more refined, and larger in nearly all dimensions. Most notably, it's 3.0 inches wider and 2.5 inches longer. Although the wheelbase grows by a trivial 0.3 inches, the cabin has been reconfigured to boost rear-seat legroom by 2.4 inches. Volkswagen officials commented that while the outgoing Passat was at the small end of the mid-size segment, the new Passat grows to a size that's straight-on competitive with Camry, Accord, and Maxima.

Engines and transmissions have gone from being a weak point of comparison to a strength. The "base" engine is now a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, termed the 2.0T making a very impressive 200 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque. The 2.0T has four valves per cylinder and replaces last year's five-valve, 170-hp 1.8T. The new engine (termed FSI in other markets) makes substantial improvements in power and efficiency due to the use of direct injection.