When we set out to photograph the 2006 Volkswagen Passat 2.0T we had several hip urban locations in mind. Our first choice was the Disney Concert Hall, a strikingly modern structure worthy of serving as a backdrop to the newly redesigned sedan, but we were chased away by a film crew already setting up shop at the Downtown L.A. landmark. Welcome to Tinsel Town.
At first, the sea of grips, gaffers and publicists seemed oblivious to our silver Passat, but as we pulled away one of the scary union workers chased us down to ask, "Does that car really have an umbrella in the door?"
He's right. It is the car with the umbrella in the door, which is one of the features Volkswagen has been hyping in the Passat's TV ads. In fact, VW has loaded the redesigned 2006 Passat with all kinds of cool features. Literally. Besides the built-in umbrella, this midsize sedan has two cooled storage compartments, one in the glovebox and one in the front center armrest. You know, just in case you need to chill your Toby Keith.
Although some of these features may seem gratuitous, they're standard on all three of the Passat's trim levels (Value Edition, the 2.0T and the 3.6), and they make the 2006 VW Passat unique in the typically mundane midsize sedan market.
We tested a 2.0T as it's expected to encompass the bulk of Passat sales. Our test car had a six-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic, which operates as a conventional automatic or a clutchless manual. It was also equipped with the second of two option packages which included a sunroof, XM radio, leather heated seats, a leather shift knob and leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel. Additional options included a navigation system, a six-disc CD changer in the glovebox, a Dynaudio premium sound system and rear side airbags, which inflated our tester's window sticker to $31,565.
A Yen for Style
Stylishly refined is how we describe the new Passat. It's almost Phaeton-like in its reserved glamour. Three inches have been added to its overall length and width making it leaner and stronger.
A shiny chrome grille and scooped headlamps give a serious stare while the sweeping lines of its newly elongated profile look more like its competitors, the Honda Accord or Toyota Camry. Finish off with a Japanese-inspired back end and the result is a sedan that's pleasing to the eye but doesn't look completely German anymore.
From the front, the car looks aggressive, from the back it looks more like a roomy family sedan. Sounds contradictory, but it's actually quite balanced. Class-leading Accord and Camry country is not a bad place to be.
The Inside Story
As we hunted for a photo location, we didn't mind touring the city's more interesting 'hoods because we were getting quality time inside the Passat. With its five-level heated seats and 10-speaker audio system we weren't complaining, but rain had been forecasted for that evening and we needed to make haste. While we appreciated the umbrella in the door, we didn't want to actually use it.
Previous-generation Passat owners will find its interior familiar but more upscale. The blue and red gauges of the previous model are still there but slight adjustments to the dash and center stack layout have sleeked up the interior.
Our tester's optional leather seats were like something you'd find in an Italian furniture store: modern-looking although somewhat uncomfortable. They don't offer much thigh support nor do they grip around the shoulders. Drive it hard and you don't feel like the seat holds you tight enough.
Roomy and Functional
Three inches of additional width give passengers more hip- and elbow room plus rear legroom has been increased by 2.4 inches, catching the Passat up to the roomier Accord and Camry.
That extra space is chock-full of interesting little features to make the Passat special. Numerous storage compartments, including two small popout drawers and two flip-top compartments, disappear elegantly into the dash and center console. Besides four regular-size cupholders, the front door pockets are designed to accommodate supersized drinks. Then there's that umbrella hidden in the driver door.
Its fully lined trunk has 14.2 cubic feet of well-laid-out space which is actually smaller than its 15.0-cubic-foot predecessor. Still, Volkswagen says the multilink rear suspension enabled its designers to create a wider luggage compartment. As a result the trunk seems huge.
Storage also benefits from easy-to-operate 60/40-split-folding rear seats with pass-through. Trunk access is low and convenient and we love the cute little insider way of opening the trunk. (Press the VW logo.) It's these personal touches that make the new Passat fun.
German-Bred
The new Passat's base engine is a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder with a direct-injection fuel delivery system. It makes 200 horsepower at 5,100 rpm and 207 pound-feet of torque from 1,800 to 5,000 rpm. That's 30 more horses than last year, 40 more than the four-cylinder Accord and 46 more than a four-cylinder Camry. It's also more than enough for a daily commute.
With the six-speed transmission in standard "Drive" mode, the car gets around town capably, upshifts are smooth and downshifts are easy enough to come by. But if you want to have a little fun, popping it into "Sport" mode unleashes some of the car's athletic potential. Suddenly the shift points are more aggressive and the tranny makes much better use of the engine's deep power reserves. If shifting yourself sounds good, the transmission manual gate allows you to choose and hold any gear you want when you want, but it doesn't match revs on the downshifts like Volkswagen's DSG (Direct Shift Gearbox) transmission which is paired with the turbocharged 2.0-liter in the Jetta GLI.
VW claims the Passat 2.0T, which is only available with front-wheel drive, will get from zero to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds with the manual transmission and 7.4 seconds with the automatic. In Sport mode our test car reached 60 mph in 7.7 seconds and passed the quarter-mile mark in 15.7 seconds. We don't expect many Passat drivers will have trouble merging into traffic on the freeway.
Braking (and Handling) News
This Passat features electromechanical power steering, independent strut front suspension, multilink independent rear suspension and a host of acronyms worthy of a medical convention: ESP (electronic stabilization program), ASR (anti-slip regulation), EDL (electronic differential lock) and ABS (antilock braking system).
When traffic slows to a sudden crawl, we think you'll find the brakes up to the challenge. At the track the brakes stopped the car from 60 mph in 124.3 feet. We graded the four-wheel disc brakes "very good" with a steady and consistent feel to the pedaling.
VW has added a disc-wiping function which imperceptibly engages the brakes so that the pads squeegee the discs at five-minute intervals while the windshield wipers are on. This ingenious bit of technology keeps the discs dry and shortens braking distances.
In real-world driving, the steering is responsive and light but not too light, and the suspension, while a little soft, provides a pleasant ride and handles bends in the road without too much lean. When pushed hard, however, like in our slalom test, body roll becomes pronounced and the tires scream like David Lee Roth in his Van Halen heyday. Still, the Passat maneuvered through the cones at 62 mph, which is very quick for its class.
If we bought the Passat, the standard 16-inch all-season tires would be the first thing we'd upgrade. Optional 17- and 18-inch wheels are available.
Conclusion
A stiffer suspension and more aggressive tires would help the Passat's performance numbers, but the 2006 Volkswagen Passat isn't a sport sedan. It's a sedan for grown-up drivers who want to have a little fun. Whether hauling around the kids, commuting or outrunning storm clouds, the new Passat provides a functional, fun and fashionable alternative in the sometimes lackluster midsize market.
Sales of the last-generation Passat were around 75,000 a year and VW expects that trend to continue. Although the new Passat gets pricey when loaded with popular options, it could rain on the parades of Accord and Camry. And those best-sellers don't come with umbrellas.
At first, the sea of grips, gaffers and publicists seemed oblivious to our silver Passat, but as we pulled away one of the scary union workers chased us down to ask, "Does that car really have an umbrella in the door?"
He's right. It is the car with the umbrella in the door, which is one of the features Volkswagen has been hyping in the Passat's TV ads. In fact, VW has loaded the redesigned 2006 Passat with all kinds of cool features. Literally. Besides the built-in umbrella, this midsize sedan has two cooled storage compartments, one in the glovebox and one in the front center armrest. You know, just in case you need to chill your Toby Keith.
Although some of these features may seem gratuitous, they're standard on all three of the Passat's trim levels (Value Edition, the 2.0T and the 3.6), and they make the 2006 VW Passat unique in the typically mundane midsize sedan market.
We tested a 2.0T as it's expected to encompass the bulk of Passat sales. Our test car had a six-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic, which operates as a conventional automatic or a clutchless manual. It was also equipped with the second of two option packages which included a sunroof, XM radio, leather heated seats, a leather shift knob and leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel. Additional options included a navigation system, a six-disc CD changer in the glovebox, a Dynaudio premium sound system and rear side airbags, which inflated our tester's window sticker to $31,565.
A Yen for Style
Stylishly refined is how we describe the new Passat. It's almost Phaeton-like in its reserved glamour. Three inches have been added to its overall length and width making it leaner and stronger.
A shiny chrome grille and scooped headlamps give a serious stare while the sweeping lines of its newly elongated profile look more like its competitors, the Honda Accord or Toyota Camry. Finish off with a Japanese-inspired back end and the result is a sedan that's pleasing to the eye but doesn't look completely German anymore.
From the front, the car looks aggressive, from the back it looks more like a roomy family sedan. Sounds contradictory, but it's actually quite balanced. Class-leading Accord and Camry country is not a bad place to be.
The Inside Story
As we hunted for a photo location, we didn't mind touring the city's more interesting 'hoods because we were getting quality time inside the Passat. With its five-level heated seats and 10-speaker audio system we weren't complaining, but rain had been forecasted for that evening and we needed to make haste. While we appreciated the umbrella in the door, we didn't want to actually use it.
Previous-generation Passat owners will find its interior familiar but more upscale. The blue and red gauges of the previous model are still there but slight adjustments to the dash and center stack layout have sleeked up the interior.
Our tester's optional leather seats were like something you'd find in an Italian furniture store: modern-looking although somewhat uncomfortable. They don't offer much thigh support nor do they grip around the shoulders. Drive it hard and you don't feel like the seat holds you tight enough.
Roomy and Functional
Three inches of additional width give passengers more hip- and elbow room plus rear legroom has been increased by 2.4 inches, catching the Passat up to the roomier Accord and Camry.
That extra space is chock-full of interesting little features to make the Passat special. Numerous storage compartments, including two small popout drawers and two flip-top compartments, disappear elegantly into the dash and center console. Besides four regular-size cupholders, the front door pockets are designed to accommodate supersized drinks. Then there's that umbrella hidden in the driver door.
Its fully lined trunk has 14.2 cubic feet of well-laid-out space which is actually smaller than its 15.0-cubic-foot predecessor. Still, Volkswagen says the multilink rear suspension enabled its designers to create a wider luggage compartment. As a result the trunk seems huge.
Storage also benefits from easy-to-operate 60/40-split-folding rear seats with pass-through. Trunk access is low and convenient and we love the cute little insider way of opening the trunk. (Press the VW logo.) It's these personal touches that make the new Passat fun.
German-Bred
The new Passat's base engine is a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder with a direct-injection fuel delivery system. It makes 200 horsepower at 5,100 rpm and 207 pound-feet of torque from 1,800 to 5,000 rpm. That's 30 more horses than last year, 40 more than the four-cylinder Accord and 46 more than a four-cylinder Camry. It's also more than enough for a daily commute.
With the six-speed transmission in standard "Drive" mode, the car gets around town capably, upshifts are smooth and downshifts are easy enough to come by. But if you want to have a little fun, popping it into "Sport" mode unleashes some of the car's athletic potential. Suddenly the shift points are more aggressive and the tranny makes much better use of the engine's deep power reserves. If shifting yourself sounds good, the transmission manual gate allows you to choose and hold any gear you want when you want, but it doesn't match revs on the downshifts like Volkswagen's DSG (Direct Shift Gearbox) transmission which is paired with the turbocharged 2.0-liter in the Jetta GLI.
VW claims the Passat 2.0T, which is only available with front-wheel drive, will get from zero to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds with the manual transmission and 7.4 seconds with the automatic. In Sport mode our test car reached 60 mph in 7.7 seconds and passed the quarter-mile mark in 15.7 seconds. We don't expect many Passat drivers will have trouble merging into traffic on the freeway.
Braking (and Handling) News
This Passat features electromechanical power steering, independent strut front suspension, multilink independent rear suspension and a host of acronyms worthy of a medical convention: ESP (electronic stabilization program), ASR (anti-slip regulation), EDL (electronic differential lock) and ABS (antilock braking system).
When traffic slows to a sudden crawl, we think you'll find the brakes up to the challenge. At the track the brakes stopped the car from 60 mph in 124.3 feet. We graded the four-wheel disc brakes "very good" with a steady and consistent feel to the pedaling.
VW has added a disc-wiping function which imperceptibly engages the brakes so that the pads squeegee the discs at five-minute intervals while the windshield wipers are on. This ingenious bit of technology keeps the discs dry and shortens braking distances.
In real-world driving, the steering is responsive and light but not too light, and the suspension, while a little soft, provides a pleasant ride and handles bends in the road without too much lean. When pushed hard, however, like in our slalom test, body roll becomes pronounced and the tires scream like David Lee Roth in his Van Halen heyday. Still, the Passat maneuvered through the cones at 62 mph, which is very quick for its class.
If we bought the Passat, the standard 16-inch all-season tires would be the first thing we'd upgrade. Optional 17- and 18-inch wheels are available.
Conclusion
A stiffer suspension and more aggressive tires would help the Passat's performance numbers, but the 2006 Volkswagen Passat isn't a sport sedan. It's a sedan for grown-up drivers who want to have a little fun. Whether hauling around the kids, commuting or outrunning storm clouds, the new Passat provides a functional, fun and fashionable alternative in the sometimes lackluster midsize market.
Sales of the last-generation Passat were around 75,000 a year and VW expects that trend to continue. Although the new Passat gets pricey when loaded with popular options, it could rain on the parades of Accord and Camry. And those best-sellers don't come with umbrellas.
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