Volkswagen Passat Review (2024)

Introduction

Volkswagen’s Passat has had quite a varied history.

In fact, at one point, it was the name given to three different cars that Volkswagen sold worldwide.

In the UK, it was best known as VW's largest saloon for a period of time - until the ultra-sophisticated, upmarket Phaeton came along, of course.

Now, though, the Passat saloon no longer exists at all.

Since the latest ninth-generation model was introduced last year, the Passat is available in estate form only. This makes it a rare example of an estate that doesn’t have a saloon-shaped sibling on which it’s based.

However, the drawback of all saloons is that, no matter how big the boot is, the space isn't as usable or as accessible due to its natural shallow opening.

That is not a problem for the estate car, especially as the Passat has become increasingly larger over the years.

So, how well does this one fare?

At a Glance

When you see the Passat, it’s actually a shame that a saloon version isn’t available, as it’d almost certainly look fantastic.

As with several VWs, notably the latestGolf, the main grille is now extremely thin. The lower grille takes centre stage with its incredibly wide mouth, which features several vertical chrome strips on all but the range-topping R Line version.

Chiselled cheekbones are present on all versions, but they are especially prominent on the R Line, which offers a more athletic appearance.

Further back, there's a notable crease running through the centre of the door handles and shapeliness to the lower doors. At the back, there's a thick LED strip that spans the full width of the car, although it thins out in the middle on the R Line.

It looks sleek, aggressive, bold and very attractive.

Key Features

The VW Passat is available in three trims.

The entry-level Life gets 17-inch alloys, a 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite navigation, digital radio, ChatGPT voice control, a 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro instrument cluster, LED headlights, and a rear-view camera.

You also get massage front seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with paddle shifters, three-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, power-folding door mirrors, keyless entry, and an electric tailgate.

The mid-range Elegance acquires sports seats, microfleece front and outer rear seat inserts, an enhanced front seat massage function, aluminium décor, a tilting and sliding panoramic sunroof, and enhanced acoustic treatment.

The top-of-the-range R Line enjoys 18-inch alloys, a black styling pack, front sports seats, Karoso R-Line fabric for the front and outer rear seats, 30-colour ambient lighting, LED matrix headlights, and brushed stainless steel pedals.

In terms of power, there’s a choice of three motors, which are all 1.5-litre petrol units.

There is the pure petrol - the 1.5 eTSI, which has a seven-speed dual-clutch DSG transmission and produces 150PS. Alternatively, there are two plug-in hybrids called 1.5 TSI eHybrid, both of which have a six-speed dual-clutch DSG transmission and produce 204 and 272PS.

All powertrains are available with all trims, except for the latter – the 272PS plug-in hybrid (PHEV) – which isn't offered at entry-level.

Performance & Drive

The PHEVs are tempting, but the mild hybrid petrol is what we’re focusing on.

150PS translates into a 0-62mph time of 9.3 seconds, which isn’t bad.

The VW can sometimes feel a tad underpowered, so expect it to whine if you bury your foot to maximise its performance capabilities. You have to be a little bit patient with it when accelerating up to motorway speeds, but for everything else, it’s a decent and well-refined engine.

The lower-powered eHybrid offers 36 per cent more power than the petrol mild hybrid, with the 0-62mph time dropping to 8.1 seconds.

If that's still not enough, there's the 272PS variant, which can do the same sprint in 7.1 seconds. There is nothing wrong with going for that, given the miles-per-gallon figures are measured in the hundreds in the Passat PHEVs. But the 204PS PHEV is already a big enough jump in price for our liking, and the 272PS variant is overkill.

The DSG dual-clutch automatic found across the Passat range shifts smoothly and feels well-engineered. Therefore, we have no preference, given that the PHEV has a six-speed ‘box and the mild hybrid petrol has a seven-speed unit.

In terms of its handling, the Passat is comfortable to drive. It can feel a little bit jerky and unsettled at lower speeds, but once you're doing a sensible enough 30mph or so, this won't be an issue, and at motorway pace, it feels right at home cruising along.

The R Line test car gets adaptive suspension, so you can enjoy the best of both worlds. You can choose from over a dozen notches on the dial between memory foam-like absorption and rigid firmness, although there are also default Comfort and Sport modes.

All that said, it seems a tad unnecessary, given it's not a performance-focused car. Yes, the 272PS PHEV might hint at it, as might the R Line trim, but in handling terms, it’s good but not especially sporty, so the adaptive suspension feels a little out of place.

The Passat controls body lean nicely in the bends, offering a respectable amount of grip and well-weighted steering, as well as a good level of feedback through the wheel.

Running Costs & Emissions

The 1.5 ETSI petrol mild hybrid returns 50mpg and emits 129g/km of CO2 in R Line trim.

These figures are improved to 51.8mpg (124g/km of CO2) and 51.5mpg (125g/km of CO2) in the entry-level Life and mid-range Elegance trims. That is alright, although the numbers are nowhere near the PHEVs, of course.

The lower-powered 204PS eHybrid claims a whopping 727.6 to 755.2mpg depending on trim, emitting just 9g/km of CO2, while the higher-powered 272PS eHybrid reduces these figures to 694.7 to 723.8mpg, again emitting just 9g/km of CO2.

You won’t get near those numbers in practice, but it just shows you the additional economy of the plug-in hybrids.

The choice is a no-brainer if you're a company car driver, though, as the PHEVs both get a 25.7 (19.7kWh usable) battery, which is good enough for an all-electric range of 78 to 88 miles in the 204PS eHybrid, depending on trim.

The 272PS eHybrid has a claimed range of 77 to 82 miles, again depending on trim.

Once again, in practice, you won't achieve these figures, but that's commonplace in all electrified cars. However, these numbers are impressive nonetheless for plug-in hybrids.

These range figures are enough to bring the Passat down into the five per cent band for Benefit in Kind tax, which is rare for a PHEV. This makes it a very attractive company car, albeit still not as appealing as an all-electric one.

Furthermore, unlike most PHEVs, it can charge at a maximum rate of 50kW, meaning it charges much quicker than most rivals.

Interior & Technology

Volkswagen has previously been criticised for its dated interiors, so it's good that the Passat’s cabin gives off a sweet first impression.

The dashboard is set slightly further back on the driver's side, allowing more room. This angled approach also means the infotainment screen tilts slightly towards the driver for a better view.

There are plenty of soft-to-the-touch plush surfaces, and all is more pleasing to the eye than in some of the Passat’s competitors.

You will find many buttons on the steering wheel but little elsewhere, apart from a few shortcut switches beneath the infotainment screen.

While we wouldn’t call it a minimalist design like you’d find in a Tesla, the VW is certainly decluttered, which only adds to its perceived level of sophistication.

Of course, ‘clean’ dashboards of the modern era usually mean you have to operate just about everything through the infotainment system, and that’s true of the Passat.

Unfortunately, that means some things are tricky to operate on the move.

Yes, the screen is reasonably responsive and, at 12.9 inches, sufficiently large, but it's still more difficult to find what you need to press while driving along than it would be to press a physical button.

The voice control can be used, but we found it could have been more consistent in understanding our commands, especially at speed, when wind and road noise are at their highest.

Nevertheless, if you've been put off by Volkswagens in the past because of the automaker’s ‘challenging’ infotainment offerings, we're pleased to say they're now at least relatively easy to use.

Another common criticism of newer models was that the temperature controls weren’t even backlit, so you couldn’t find them when driving at night - a glaring omission on VW's part that, thankfully, has now been addressed.

The infotainment-related improvements are nicely complemented by the Digital Cockpit Pro – VW’s digital instrument cluster – which is large, clear and informative.

Overall, the Passat's interior impresses. While we hope the voice control will be improved and we'd love an extra physical switch or two here and there, it should help tip the balance in favour of Volkswagen against all but its premium brand challengers.

Boot Space & Practicality

Finding a comfortable driving position in the Passat is easy. However, even in the top-of-the-range R Line car, there’s no electric seat adjustment, despite such luxuries as massage function being included as standard on all models.

Nevertheless, there’s plenty of travel in the seats and steering wheel. Forward visibility is good, too, thanks to thin windscreen pillars that don't obstruct the view much.

Despite being an estate car, the rear windscreen is acutely angled, and this, combined with the roof spoiler and the much thicker pillars, means that over-the-shoulder visibility is somewhat compromised.

Thankfully, rear parking sensors (in addition to ones at the front) and a rear-view camera solve the issue. But no models - not even the R Line - get a 360-degree surround-view camera (an area-view camera is part of an optional extra pack).

The VW Passat has repeatedly grown over the years between iterations, and the current model is the largest yet, so it offers plenty of space inside.

As a result, front legroom and headroom are plentiful, and even the tallest of drivers won't be left complaining about a lack of space.

There is also a decent amount of shoulder room between front-seat occupants. In the back, the Passat’s numerous growth spurts benefit those seated in the rear - it's very generous indeed.

So, if you put a tall rear-seat passenger behind a lofty front-seat occupant, both should be able to sprawl out and be accommodated in relative comfort.

Sideways space isn't huge in the rear, so sitting three adults alongside each other won't be as comfortable on a longer trip. But it's more doable than in plenty of rivals, although the middle seat passenger will have to put up with a hump in the floor.

The VW Passat's boot space now measures 690 litres, which is the same as the Skoda Superb Estate and bigger than every other contender it’s up against.

Mind you, opting for the PHEV will cost you quite a bit of that space, as the capacity drops to 510 litres.

Still, it expands to a very accommodating 1,920 litres in our petrol test car and around 1,760 litres in the PHEV. Being an estate car, the space is very usable and accessible due to its natural shape and wide boot opening.

The only downside is that the split of the rear seats is only a 60:40 configuration, rather than the more convenient 40:20:40 split offered by many of its premium foes. Still, it’s a minor gripe in what is otherwise a superbly practical car.

The cabin also has lots of interior storage, including a sizeable cubby beneath the central armrest and generously sized door bins.

Safety

The new Volkswagen Passat was tested earlier in 2024, earning a five-star safety rating from crash-test specialists Euro NCAP.

It scored 93 per cent for adult occupants, 87 per cent for children and 80 per cent for safety assists. The latter category includes a plethora of gadgets, including front assist with automatic emergency braking, tyre pressure loss indicator, park assist, and adaptive cruise control, plus advanced driver attention and drowsiness monitoring.

You also get dynamic road sign display, pedestrian monitoring, lane assist, a predictive speed limiter, a rear-view camera, and travel assist with lane assist.

Lane, traffic jam, and emergency assist are available as part of an optional extra Driver’s Assistance Pack.

A tyre pressure monitoring system and additional side and curtain airbags are also optional.

Options

There are lots of optional extras you can choose from in the VW Passat.

The Acoustics Pack adds laminated side windows for improved noise reduction, while the park and comfort pack includes keyless entry, a power-operated luggage compartment cover, and side sunblinds.

You can have a panoramic sunroof, while the Winter Pack includes heated front and outer-rear seats, a heated front windscreen and a heated steering wheel.

As we mentioned, the Driver Assistance Pack includes more safety kit, electronic activation for the child door locks, and an upgraded camera.

A sports suspension pack and dynamic chassis control, which offer the variable suspension settings we mentioned earlier, are also available.

LED matrix headlights, a tow bar, a Harmon Kardon sound system, and a Discover Pro Max infotainment system with a larger 15-inch screen and head-up display can also be added.

Power-adjustable ventilated, leather sports comfort front seats are available as part of the Interior Pack.

Alternatively, a Wellness Pack includes Alcantara leather seats if you prefer.

In addition, there are many accessories, such as floor mats, boot inlays, bike racks, door sill protectors, and dynamic centre wheel caps, which mimic Rolls-Royce's famed wheel caps, keeping the car’s logo upright even when the wheels are turning.

Rival Cars

The Passat's main enemy is the Skoda Superb Estate.

However, there are plenty of alternatives, including the BMW 3 and 5-Series Touring, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and E-Class Estates, and the Audi A4 Avant. The Volvo V60 is also worth shortlisting.

If you’re not bothered by badge snobbery, the Citroen C5 X, Peugeot 508 Sportwagon and Toyota Corolla Touring Sports are worth consideration.

Those seeking even more practicality may want to consider leasing the Tesla Model Y SUV.

Volkswagen, meanwhile, also offers internal competition with the new all-electric ID.7 Tourer.

Verdict & Next Steps

The Volkswagen Passat is a tempting lease.

It is lovely inside and out, generously equipped, and highly practical for a car that isn't an SUV in terms of cabin space and boot capacity.

Aside from that, the powertrains seem fairly refined, too.

We would avoid the R Line trim we tested, though, as it’s quite expensive to recommend, tempting as it is. The lower trims offer everything you really need.

Likewise, as impressive as the PHEV models are, we’d go for the petrol mild hybrid, as the jump in price from the petrol is significant.

That said, if you’re a high-mileage driver likely to recoup the additional cost during your lease or you’re after a company car, the plug-in models are a no-brainer.

The VW Passat is an impressive all-rounder and more than deserves serious consideration.

Where to next?

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**Score based on Select’s unique meta score analysis, taking into account the UK’s top leading independent car website reviews of the Polestar 2.

**Correct as of 24/09/2024. Based on 9 months initial payment, 5,000 miles annually, over a 48 month lease. Initial payment equivalent to 9 monthly payments, or £3,817.08 (Plus admin fee) Ts and Cs apply. Credit is subject to status.