Volkswagen Passat Engine & Performance

The Passat in India comes with a single engine option that is the tried and tested 2.0 litre four cylinder turbo diesel motor that does duty in many of the VW family cars. The engine makes 177 horsepower and 350 Nm of maximum torque. Power goes to the front wheels via a 6 speed DSG automatic gearbox. Delivery of that power comes in a very linear fashion and offers great drivability. Shifts from the DSG are quick and the transmission is very responsive to downshift requests too. The gearbox does tend to get a bit jerky in city traffic but nothing that would spoil the driving experience. Also the engine is not the the quietest around and the noise is heard in the cabin as well more so at higher revs.

The Passat also comes with three driving modes, Comfort, Auto and Sport. Each mode alters the characteristics of the gearbox, engine, steering and the dampers. Sport mode is best suited for spirited driving and you can also shift manually via the paddle shifters on the steering wheel. And since most of us like to get the most from every drop of diesel, the Passat comes with the Think Blue Trainer technology that prompts you on how to achieve maximum fuel efficiency.

The ride is what you would typically expect from a European sedan. Though it is on the stiffer side, the car feels planted at all times and you feel comfortable nevertheless. The suspension does make itself heard at times especially when you go over speed breakers. The Passat handles well too with a nicely weighed steering that becomes even better as speeds rise.

There is a lot of safety kit on offer as standard. This includes 9 airbags including driver’s knee airbag, ABS with EBD, Electronic Stabilty Control with ASR and EDL, Hill Start Assist and Auto Hold.

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