FOLLOWING over 15 million sales in 37 years across 100 countries around the world, Volkswagen unveiled the seventh generation of the Passat at the Paris Motor Show. Establishing benchmarks in quality, design, economy and comfort the new Passat is not only the most advanced yet but also the most efficient, with both the 1.6TDI 105bhp and 2.0TDI 140bhp engines in VRT band A attracting only €104 annual road tax.
The Passat represents one of the great success stories in Irish automotive history, with over 63,000 cars sold since the Passat was first launched in 1973. The new model sees a 4.2l/100km (67.3mpg) fuel economy along with a completely new styling configuration with its front-end styling following that of the Volkswagen Phaeton.
As is usual for a Volkswagen, the new Passat also sets standards in sustainability. Powering the new Passat is a range of advanced and highly efficient petrol and diesel engines. The 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine producing 122bhp with emissions of only 138g/km qualifies for VRT band B attracting only €156 annual road tax.
The refined and frugal diesel range starts with the most efficient engine, the 1.6-litre TDI unit producing 105bhp. Equipped with this engine and the BlueMotion package of changes including aerodynamic modifications, Stop/Start and battery regeneration, the new Passat can achieve a combined 4.2l/100km(67.3 mpg) while emitting just 109* g/km of CO2 placing the car firmly in VRT band A and only €104 annual road tax.
This equates to a theoretical range of over 1,600 kilometres on a single tank of diesel. Joining the 1.6-litre TDI is the highly acclaimed 2.0-litre TDI engine available in two power outputs – 140bhp and 170bhp. Each of the engine ranges can be specified with a choice of manual or DSG gearboxes.
Volkswagen is making genuine progress in the area of safety. The previous model already attained an impressive five stars in Euro-NCAP crash testing. The new model takes safety to a new level with features such as an automatic City emergency braking function.
The fatigue detection system, which Volkswagen is introducing for the first time in this class, is continually active; it detects reduced driver concentration and warns the driver with an acoustic signal. A visual message also appears in the instrument cluster recommending that the driver should take a break from driving. Volkswagen will continue to offer customer oriented Option Packs (i.e. Sports Pack, Media Pack, Comfort Pack and Safety Pack) on the new Passat following the highly successful launch of option packs on the current model in 2010 which offered customer savings of approx 30 per cent.
For further information or a test drive, please refer to main dealer Frank Hogan on the Dublin Road.
