2015 VOLKSWAGEN Passat Review

For instance, "Normal" feels more like "Eco", while “Sport” feels close to what you would expect from "Normal". While the engine isn't under-revved in "Normal", a thing we've noticed with the BMW X3 Facelift, this setup is mostly linked to the throttle mapping.

This is an all-new two-liter diesel engine family and you can feel it. You no longer have to wait until 2,000 rpm in order to get decent pulling power. Still, even when you are in a hurry, you shouldn't take the engine past 4,000 rpm as it's not that kind of rev-happy diesel.

All this efficiency focus has paid out, as our review figures were a thrill to the wallet. Inside the city, you can achieve between 5.7 and 9 liters per 100 km (41.2 – 26.1 mpg), depending on the traffic and your right foot. Out on the open road, family-style driving manners brought the fuel efficiency to 5l/100 km (47 mpg).

We haven't driven the heavily anticipated BiTDI 2.0-liter, which delivers 240 hp and a peak torque of 500 Nm (369 lb-ft). Until we do, we can only wonder how the extra weight the unit brings will offset the Passat's balance - since it comes with 4Motion all-wheel drive in standard, a BiTDI Passat can end up being around 120 kg (265 lbs) chunkier than a mid-range front-wheel driven 2.0 TDI DSG, which tips the scales at 1,500 kg (3,300 lbs).

As for the six-speed DSG itself, its characteristic blitz shifts seemed to have been toned down a little bit in favor of comfort. All in all, this is still a must-have option.

The Passat remains as detached as ever (you can read the Passat B7 review here) and yet the driving refinement has clearly gone up. From the high-speed noise insulation to the way in which the steering column reacts when you hit a bump, things are looking mighty positive.

As far as the ride is concerned, the adaptive suspension with selectable modes, a novelty on the Passat, is yet another option you must tick.

Yet another aspect that will please everybody, from family members to fleet managers, is the ever-present safety of the Passat. If we are to judge by the Euro NCAP scores, factoring in the size of the car, not the premium or non-premium aura, the Mercedes C-Class is the only safer car of comparable dimensions, with all the others, such as the Mondeo, falling behind Wolfsburg's creation.

The Passat is simply loaded with all sorts of safety features, some standard, some optional. Stuff like the blind angle monitoring and lane departure warning already count as B-grade systems, since this Volkswagen bring much more serious active safety hardware.

For instance, when you're in a traffic jam, the Passat can handle the throttle-brake, as well as the steering on its own. And if you're the type the likes to attach a trailer, you'll be happy to know the Passat packs Trailer Assist, which helps you with those nasty situations when you have to reverse a trailer into a parking spot.

With over 1.1 million units sold over the course of 2014 alone, including the specifically-developed US and Chinese models, the outgoing generation of the Passat is the best-selling car in the entire VW Group. For the B8 Passat, the Germans have raised the bar past the expected generation-induced level.

The area where this is felt the most has to do with the refinement of the car. Of course, the greatest gains are found on the inside. In terms of both space and styling, the cabin of the new model is a major step ahead from what was already one of the best interior in the class.

In addition, the Passat B8 feels suppler and therefore is easier to drive. It's not perfect though, since it remains as uncommunicative as ever, but this has to do more with the brand than it concerns the model.

When you dare challenge premium models such as the 3-Series or the C-Class, such questions about the driving character will arise. Yes, now that the Passat has moved slightly upmarket, the financial gap between the VW and the premium proposals of the class is now smaller than ever - give up some horses, as well as certain features and you can get a base Merc for the kind of money that would bring you a well-specced Passat.

In fact, the worst side of this Volkswagen is its price. But it's not all this VW's fault - financially speaking, the non-premium side of the segment has leaped a bit and the Passat has brought its own upmarket move on top of that.

On the German market, the Passat B8 starts at EUR 25,875, which brings you the 125 hp 1.4-liter TSI petrol in the base Trendline trim, while the 120 hp 1.6 TDI diesel starts at EUR 28,450. You should try to avoid Trendline and moving to Comfortline means the adjacent prices turn to EUR 28,200 and EUR 30,775, respectively.

Yes, it has a bigger boot than a 3-Series and also more room in the back, but when you climb into the higher areas of the pricing, the brand battle will be a bloody one - we talked to quite a few people, some of which owned Passats and it seems that the majority of potential customers see the Passat as a car that shouldn't go past EUR 35,000.

Spec yours north of that level and you might end up with a bit of a Phaeton reception problem - a car so loaded with assets that its price becomes too much of a burden for its badge to bare.

As for the comparison with more traditional rivals, the Ford Mondeo, also all-new and recently launched, is the best example. The Blue Oval sedan is about EUR 1,000 cheaper like-for-like, but the Passat trumps it in just about every aspect there is. The driving experience is the only area where the Mondeo wins, but to choose a car in this class solely judging by that would be a bit odd.

The Passat has always been a bit like Volkswagen' black suit. Not the best form of personal expression, but nonetheless elegant, simple and suitable for any occasion you can think of. Now the suit can be touched by a designer.

Will you be able to wear this B8 suit in the US? For now, Americans are stuck with their own Passat, albeit with a refresh underway. The B8 should arrive stateside in 2016, but nothing is official yet.

The B8 Passat is not just a trustful player for Volkswagen. It also breeds new life into the non-premium D segment, a class that has lost serious ground in the face of the SUV revolution.