2015 VOLKSWAGEN Passat Review

Yes, Volkswagen's sedan has become the definition of the non-premium European D segment, but with the B8 generation, the model somehow moves into uncharted territory. The new Passat now plays in an area where no other competitor has ever gone before, being slotted in between the mainstream and the premium areas of the segment.

All this means that the Passat moves further away from the likes of the Ford Mondeo and the Peugeot 508, getting closer to offerings such as the BMW 3-Series and the Mercedes C-Class. That is an important step in the vehicle's life, but can such a scheme actually pay out?

Volkswagen is rather sure the answer is "Yes" and they're relying on an observation that can't be denied. Nowadays, people want variety, they are ready to pay for the extra stuff. For crying out loud, if you enter a supermarket looking for yogurt, you'll be treated with a palette spanning entire rooms.

Thus, the German automaker has decided to dial up the Passat more than just a bit.

These were some of the first impressions, but when approaching the 2015 Volkswagen Passat test car, our minds initially wandered off to the Passats of the old days. Volkswagen fans' annual Worthersee meeting always has some tricked-out senior Passats, so these stay fresh in our memory.

More importantly, the B8 makes full use of horizontal styling tricks in order to appear lower. The man responsible for this sleek appearance of the new Passat? Marc Lichte, who has now moved on to head Audi's design department.

The new MQB platform is shared with the Golf and has allowed for a lower positioning of the engine, so the bonnet was lowered, while the A pillars were moved towards the rear of the car.

Now that we've discussed the main elements that give the 2015 Passat its appealing stance, it's time to talk dimensions. While the overall length has gone down by 2 mm (0.08 inches) to 4,767 mm (187.7 inches), the wheelbase has jumped considerably, growing by 79 mm (3.11 inches) to 2,791 mm (109.9 inches). At the same time, Volkswagen's sedan is now 14 mm (0.55 inches) lower and 12 mm (0.47 inches) wider.

If there's any cheesy nickname you can give to the new Passat, it would have to be "king of the features". For the love of God, you can choose between three levels of LED lighting up front (Xenon is gone) and two at the rear! Speaking of the Passat's posterior, it has a touch of Phaeton.

German cars looking out of place with halogen lights are already a well-known topic, but the Passat takes this difference to a whole new level - the standard halogen headlights are larger than the LED units and sport a different design that changes the entire face of the car.

If you happen to be inside a Passat and an Audi A4 owner stops next to you at the lights, relax - this Volkswagen rivals Ingolstadt's products in terms of cabin fit and finish.

Should that car next to you happen to be the new TT, with its Virtual Cockpit digital instrument cluster, you must know you're close - on the Passat, the digital dash is called Active Info Display. While it doesn't offer quite the same resolution as that on the TT and leaves the navigation for the center console display (the Audi incorporates it), the feature will grab everybody's attention.

The only gripe we've had with the display is that it is a bit overcrowded. For instance, in the bid to impress through its complexity, the digital speedometer doesn't get the reigning status it should.

Speaking of the dashboard, there's always been something special about a Passat's air vents. For example, the mid-90s B5 impressed with its curtain-like vents that could be fully closed, not just orientated in a certain direction. The new model sees the design on the air vent stretching the entire length of the dashboard fascia.

You can also opt for a head-up display and despite this being projected onto a piece of material, not directly on the windscreen due to cost cutting, its presence can be a nice touch.

Since the family assets are obvious, we included our children in the review of the Passat and it was amusing to see an editor's little daughter preparing to do her hair with the help of the car - the little one thought the dash air vent actually spreads from door to door, so she was expecting a massive airflow.

The aforementioned wheelbase increase is obviously better felt in the rear, where our families were more than happy. And that was not just about the space - on many D-segment vehicles, you can feel the cheap production tricks when it comes to the comfort of the rear seats, but this was not the case here. Actually, if you had us blindfolded and sat in a Passat, as well as in an Audi A6, we'd have had a hard time figuring out which is which.

The car also allows you to connect your tablet to its infotainment system, as part of the Rear Seat Infotainment package, so the little ones will be entertained.

As for the driving position, VW's obsession for placing the occupants low brings a nice touch, perhaps the only truly sporty accent of the car. The all-round visibility is good and so are the ergonomics. Speaking of which, the control arrangement around the gear level once again has "Audi" written all over it.

Ingolstadt fans shouldn't fret though - you can be sure that Audi is working to differentiate the B9 A4 from the Passat (in terms of cabin wow effect) – the new A4's release has been pushed back to a date later in the year.

You'll notice the final touch when darkness falls, as the Passat treats you with calm-inducing ambient lighting.

When it comes to the driving experience, regardless of the powertrain you opt for, one of the greatest changes brought by the B8 Passat is the apparent shrinking of the car.

This ease of driving makes the Passat a doll around the city. Opt for the DSG and the auto hold function, allowing you to take your foot off both pedals at the traffic light, will make you feel truly premium. Your passengers will enjoy the experience too, as the serious soundproofing keeps most of the urban buzz away. Even pedestrians should be happy about you having bought a Passat, since the car can be gifted with Front Assist plus City Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, a system that is able to bring the vehicle to a stop on its own if this is required.

The German engineers have been very.... German when implementing the parking sensors, so this kind of maneuvers come in handy. Moreover, the new Passat improves on the Touareg's Area View 360-degree camera system, so you now get a proper 3D bird's eye view. Unfortunately, if you only opt for the rear camera, you'll be disappointed by the low resolution.

If you're that lazy, VW also offers Park Assist, which can handle the steering for both parallel and perpendicular spaces. It's best to shy away from this option, as the technology hasn't reached a level that can allow an automaker to offer a solution that would beat a driver.

The Passat should also be a good friend of shopping malls, since the Volkswagen's luggage compartment dominates the segment with its 586 liters (20.7 cubic feet).