Just a few weeks ago, Volkswagen of America's state-of-the-art plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, cranked out its 10,000th Passat -- a Candy White TDI wearing a premium chrome package. Not bad for a facility that opened just five months earlier. Volkswagen is charging ahead with its goal of building 100,000 vehicles a year at Chattanooga starting next year, and the all-new 2012 Volkswagen Passat is key to hitting that target. In September alone, more than 3000 customers took home one of VW's Chattanoogian chariots.
Part of the 2012 Passat's success no doubt has to do with the variety of models and trims available for the big VW sedan. There are three engine choices - a 170-horse 2.5-liter inline-five, 280-horse 3.6-liter V-6, and a 140-horse 2.0-liter turbo four-banger -- available in a total of 14 trims. We recently had a chance to sample three combinations: a 2.5L S, 3.6 SEL, and TDI SE.
No matter the trim or mill, the Passat's sheetmetal stays basically the same. Its lines are simple, clean, and inoffensive, yet modern. A few staffers labeled it boring, but then noted the Passat and its competition in the family-friendly sedan segment aren't exactly known for avant-garde styling. Overall, we consider the styling a step in the right direction, especially with the LED touches and available 17-inch alloys.
Dimensionally, the car looks large at 191.6 inches long and 72.2 inches wide, yet it doesn't feel unwieldy when shuffling through traffic. It's within a few inches of its Audi A6 cousin, and nearly as comfortable -- just don't tell Ingolstadt. It bests the A6 in most interior measurements, but not in fancy accoutrements. The new Passat's cabin, with its to-the-point dash/center console/storage layout and simplistic multimedia interface, isn't ugly, uncomfortable, or confusing -- it's just as plain and simple as its body panels.
2012 Volkswagen Passat SE cockpit
The standard equipment list gives buyers plenty to work with: a six-speed manual (or automatic transmission), auto dual-climate control, power locks and windows, color-matched mirrors and door handles, Bluetooth, and electronically adjustable driver seat are all included. Sadly, an iPod interface isn't. You'll have to upgrade to the 2.5L SE manual to get 17-inch wheels, heated leatherette front seats, and a touch-screen Premium VIII radio. Continue up the SE and SEL trim chain in either V-6 or TDI models to get more goodies like a navigation system with Mobile Device Interface, Fender sound system, wood grain, and chrome accents or aluminum accents.
My sampling of the Passat portfolio began rather sluggishly. That's just how it goes when you're strapped into the 2.5L S equipped with a six-speed automatic gearbox - unless, of course, the throttle is mashed to its limit, or you weigh 15 pounds. It's one of those cars whose powertrain won't outperform its responsive chassis. As solid as the Passat's stout structure, suspension, and weighty steering may be, the underpowered mill and its slow-to-respond transmission hold this particular base model back when it comes to the fun factor.
Throttle laid flat, the 2.5L gets to 60 mph from nil in 9 seconds, while a quarter-mile is cleared in 16.8 seconds at 83.8 mph. Braking the roughly 3200-pound sedan from 60 mph necessitates 130 feet of pavement. Good thing its taut ride and controllable handling are above par for such a sedan.
Average consumers are likely to lug friends, kids, or coworkers in this model, not carve unused back roads like my colleagues and I do. The 2.5 SE offers enough power to get from Point A to B, and that's probably good enough. Its pipes may not omit an attractive note, but at the end of the day, it returns a competitive 22/31 city/highway EPA fuel economy rating .
Prospective Passat buyers have to throw down nearly $6000 extra for the SEL V6 to get a powertrain worthy of its athletically inclined chassis. Compared to the 2.5L S, the SEL V6 feels as if it runs on pure taurine. The initial throttle response can be abrupt, but with gradual input the six-speed dual-clutch DSG orchestrates a smoother power delivery as it knocks off cogs in fractions of seconds. Watching the tachometer bounce wildly is fun to do in the Passat - you don't expect it in this kind of sedan.
2012 Volkswagen Passat SE rear seating
As you can imagine, with 110 more horses and 81 more lb-ft than the base mill, the VR6-packing Passat is a lot more entertaining. That extra power helps out if you're more of a passer than a cruiser. Its sharp turn-in impresses, as does the palatable chassis communication. Its brakes bite harder as well. Relatively speaking, the Passat V6 is the rocket of the lineup: Going from nothing to 60 mph is a 5.7-second affair; it tackles a quarter-mile in 14.2 seconds at 100.9 mph and needs 119 feet to stop from 60 mph.
Sliding between the 2.5L and V6 SEL in terms of price and performance is the fuel-miser TDI SE. Contrary to a lot of other diesel-fueled rides, the TDI lacks the delicious push of low-rpm torque we love. It feels as potent as the asthmatic 2.5L that's down 59 lb-ft -- the extra 198 pounds it carries have something to do with that.
Real oomph from the Passat TDI only arrives when the tach needle dances high on its relatively small stage (it redlines at a paltry 5000 rpm). Just a few fans of the left steering wheel paddle are enough to spur adequate velocities. You'll need 8.7 seconds to get it up to 60 mph, and 16.6 seconds at 83.1 mph to get it past the quarter-mile post. The TDI does, however, possess the best steering feel of the trio -- it's communicative throughout a rotation, rather than just off-center as in both the V6 and 2.5L. Braking is in a middle ground between the 2.5 and VR6 at 124 feet from 60 mph.
Despite it not being an enthralling choice for impassioned enthusiasts, the TDI is arguably the best pick for the sedan buyer looking for decent sportiness, great comfort, massive space, and awesome fuel economy and range. The last trait rocked our proverbial socks: We went at least 450 miles between fill-ups. And we weren't friendly with the go-pedal, either.
Three Passats aimed at three different buyers. Together they comprise one solid lineup that is already throwing some hard blows in one of America's hugely important midsize sedan market. Do Toyota, Hyundai, Honda, Subaru, and the rest of the lot have something to worry about? Yes, they do. And if Volkswagen's optimistic sales plans come to fruition, you'll soon be seeing a lot more Tennessee-built Passats strolling through your neck of the woods.
