Eighth generation of popular Volkswagen Passat has both style and substance

Before the 1970s, Volkswagen were almost totally reliant on the then-dated Beetle for attracting sales. However, it was then running out of steam and Volkswagen needed a couple of cars that would entice more family buyers – cue the Golf and the Passat.

Thanks to their acquisition of Audi in the ’60s, Volkswagen now had the expertise and the know-how to develop a front-wheel drive saloon with a water-cooled engine. While the first Passat, called Dasher in the US, didn’t set the world alight, it was the forerunner to what we know today as one of the most successful car ever built by the German giant.

Now in its eighth generation – it went through many years of being rather boring – Volkswagen has upped the ante with a car that is much sleeker looking with a much improved interior too.

You can see what the designers were after with this new model. Straight lines and a low slick profile defines the new look. It has a better balance of glass and metal than any other Passat and that should result in this car aging much better than what they have produced over the years.

While the exterior is much classier, it is inside that is most enlightening. I have often been a bit circumspect about the interiors of many of the Volkswagen group’s cabins. For me they have, at times, favoured functionality over style.

Here, the designers splash out a bit more and while they do hold on to many of the traits of the previous mode, they have streamlined the dash with elongated air vents and added a better touchscreen to give it a more premium look. It looks like Volkswagen designers have been given their heads and we now have a car with a lot more panache. In this car the styling is now modern and swish while still being as functional as ever.

I have been driving the Passat saloon with a 2.0-litre TDi engine. Having driven the 1.6 in the old model, the 2.0-litre proved to be a much more spirited drive. The additional power makes this one the car to be considering if you are doing a sizeable amount of driving. It has more punch and the car does not work as hard on the open road. In Comfortline trim it will set you back €32,990. Your annual road tax will be €190 with108g/km coming from the 150bhp engine. Fuel consumption came in at 6.7L/100km.

On the road all Volkswagens offer a special driver feedback. The new Passat continues in this vein and while they have smoothed off some of the hard edges, they have maintained that response that owners love and make driving them so rewarding. The steering is carefully weighted and the gearbox is precise and slick.

Few will have issues with the Passat’s manners on the road either. Cornering is accurate and very stable and when out on the motorway, it is surefooted and feels like a more expensive sedan. And, thanks to Volkswagen’s all-round soundness on the road you can have a certain amount of fun on the twisty bit too. It can be firm but, it is essentially solid in every department.

When Volkswagen produced the outgoing Passat, they also built the Passat CC, which is a stunning-looking car. This new model has many of the design cues of the CC. For that reason this car is now rather more handsome and would adorn any driveway. They have been fairly uncompromising with the interior too, making this car far better than anything that has gone before. You also get that Volkswagen spirit when you drive it.