The Quint was invited to Jaipur recently to drive the 2017 Volkswagen Passat on a road trip to Udaipur. The new Volkswagen Passat was launched in October this year in two variants priced at Rs 29.99 lakh and Rs 32.99 lakh. The car may not be one that stands out in terms of looks, but that’s exactly the point – it is quite understated.
The Passat is available only with a 2-litre diesel engine mated to a 6-speed DSG automatic transmission. It puts out 177 PS power and 350 Nm torque. It comes with different drive modes that can be customised to suit the driving conditions.
The new Passat is based on the MQB platform, which also underpins the Volkswagen Tiguan and the Skoda Superb. Since it shares so many components, it also feels very familiar to drive.
We started out at about 7 am from Jaipur, heading out on the Kishangarh expressway towards Udaipur – a distance of around 390 km.
About 80 km out, we decided to take a detour to the Sambhar Salt Lake, about 40 km off the expressway, for some photographs. The dry lake bed is a good testing ground for the suspension too. And the Passat handled it easily.
That done, we were a little short on time and had to drive at a fairly good clip to get to Udaipur on time. This is where the Volkswagen Passat really shows its potential. Maintaining three digit speeds is easy. The ride quality is good. The paddle shifts on the DSG help in quick up-shifts and downshifts. Steering response is spot on, giving the driver a lot more confidence.
It comes with a host of comfort features such as three-zone climate control, electric sunroof, powered seats (with massage function for the driver), Android Auto and Apple Car Play, a 360-degree reverse camera, and more. It also boasts of automatic parking, where you can let it find a spot and reverse into it on its own, but it’s a bit tricky to use at times.
Overall, the Passat is a car that actually competes with cars a segment above in terms of features and comfort. It does not stand out in terms of looks and is best suited to buyers who want luxury, but don’t want to flaunt it.
Cameraperson: Abhay Sharma
Video Editor: Rahul Sanpui
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