[actinium15]

Originally Posted by AbhisheKulkarni

I was trying to point out the fact that the size of the sun-roof in the Passat is not "panoramic". The one in the Tiguan is.

True, but that's not a fair comparison in my humble opinion. 'Panoramic' sunroofs in sedans can get only so much big before they start compromising structural integrity of the roof (I vaguely recall reading once that sunroofs with ~70% coverage-in-glass can be called out as Panoramic).

For what's it worth, Superb and Octavia have similarly sized 'Panoramic' sunroofs.

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by actinium15

True, but that's not a fair comparison in my humble opinion. 'Panoramic' sunroofs in sedans can get only so much big before they start compromising structural integrity of the roof (I vaguely recall reading once that sunroofs with ~70% coverage-in-glass can be called out as Panoramic).

For what's it worth, Superb and Octavia have similarly sized 'Panoramic' sunroofs.

Not really - look at the new Mercedes cars which have a small non-openable sun roof for the passengers at the rear as well. That is a proper panoramic sunroof!

Hope this one doesn't open outwards like the Octavia and Superb - from what I understand those designs are prone to a fair share of rattles unlike the conventional sunroof.

Originally Posted by abhishek46

VW After-Sales is a bit better than the sordid and horrifying Skoda Dealerships.

The end company is the same - it really boils down to who is the better dealer in your city.

For instance, I would be more comfortable with VW in Mumbai because the dealer I'd have to interact with is also a dealer for Mercedes & Honda; as compared to the Skoda dealer who has 2 other Skoda showrooms/service centers. Eventually, a lot of the people are shifted around in the same company - so for example, the Service Manager looking after my Mercedes was earlier maintaining my friend's CR-V.

Interestingly, I've gotten better service from Skoda than Audi - heck, Skoda Corporate replied quicker to my email than Audi Corporate did!

[Turbanator]

'Panoramic' sunroofs in sedans can get only so much

That size of openings are called Moonroofs and not Panoramic

[actinium15]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

That size of openings are called Moonroofs and not Panoramic

Originally Posted by lamborghini

Not really

As a consumer, I agree with both of you!

But looking at current vehicle offerings in India, apparently most car manufacturers (Honda, Hyundai, Mahindra, even Germans) haven't got the memo yet as to what's Sunroof and what's Moonroof :(

I'd so welcome a universal definition for these, but when we can't even settle on what 'Ground Clearance' means I don't have much hope for Sunroof

[baskar]

Originally Posted by abhishek46

Personally, If I had the money, I would chose the Passat.
VW After-Sales is a bit better than the sordid and horrifying Skoda Dealerships.

They are both same group. Depends on which city has better dealer for Skoda Vs VW. Just today morning, we have another thread opened on poor VW service experience.

I was just trying to point out the features comparison between 2 cars. I see that after going thru the Passat catalog, it has DCC which is not in Superb. Similarly there is a massage function for the driver which is not there in Superb.

I own a Passat Highline 2012 model myself. For me, I would look at Superb as a replacement which has almost all the features of Passat , may be better sound system, lot more interior space and same power and transmission.

[imp!]

Doesn't anyone else find this launch boring? It is a standard VAG car with their standard engine and a few new/improved bells and whistles.

There is little in the new crop of Skoda/Passat cars that would make current owners want to trade in. I think the absence of a biTdi is going to steer enthusiasts away. I'd rather spend the extra money (and really, church mice would starve on the difference after the discount on a 3) and buy a 3 or the C class.

If I was purely chauffeur driven, a pre-owned S/7 makes more sense than any of these.

In Bangalore, by comparison the VW dealership by and large are terrible, but, you can get either Skoda or VW and deal with some marginal crap (other than the Rapid stunt pulled by Vinayaka, no major issues here) from them once or twice a year.

[anandpadhye]

Originally Posted by imp!

Doesn't anyone else find this launch boring?
...
I think the absence of a biTdi is going to steer enthusiasts away.

No, I disagree. I don't find this launch boring, I find it "extremely" boring!!
Run of the mill. And Skoda Superb looks much better than this one, offers the 1.8 TSi - the real engine to buy.

BTW, what's biTDi? Is that twin turbo TDi? If I have to dream, I will dream of biTSi

[imp!]

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

No, I disagree. I don't find this launch boring, I find it "extremely" boring!!
Run of the mill. And Skoda Superb looks much better than this one, offers the 1.8 TSi - the real engine to buy.

BTW, what's biTDi? Is that twin turbo TDi? If I have to dream, I will dream of biTSi

Hahaha you got me Anand, it is extremely bl***y boring! Yeah the 1.8TSI is atleast a smoother quieter engine. Although after about a million miles in both, I feel the 2.0TDI is a better highway mile muncher. Cheap as beans to run, enough torque to keep you moving along and doesn't suffer the power fall off at unmentionable speeds that the TSI does. I'm talking stock ofcourse. However, there is no ways I'd trade in my Laura TSI for anything under the Sun!

Yeah the biTDI is the twin turbo diesel. It's actually BiTDI if one wants to be precise! I hope we see a BiTSI someday, although I'd prefer a Turbo + Supercharger in the TSI engine

[Rammee]

The earlier model Passat had ventilated seats. The specs don't seem to mention that in the current edition, whereas Superb has that.

[zombiedriver]

Originally Posted by Rammee

The earlier model Passat had ventilated seats. The specs don't seem to mention that in the current edition, whereas Superb has that.

That is exactly what I was looking for in the brochure too. But the Superb has only front ventilated seats which I find totally stupid considering most people who buy these cars are chauffeur driven the rear seats should have been ventilated,Like in the Camry

[Biohazard]

Originally Posted by AbhisheKulkarni

There are many who would never buy a Skoda product, and it's for them that an alternative now presents itself.

I would be one of them. I love Skoda's new designs, but I know when it comes to purchasing one, I'll always go with the VW version. Also, I can't figure out why, but Skoda seems to attract the kind of drivers that put me off. (Generalising here... I'm sure the Skoda owners here don't fall into that category)

[lancer_rit]

Originally Posted by abhishek46

Personally, If I had the money, I would chose the Passat.
VW After-Sales is a bit better than the sordid and horrifying Skoda Dealerships.

In Bangalore, I found VW dealers worse than Skoda. They are not even interested to sell you anything, almost never have any higher end model in stock in various trims (Jetta, Passat in the past) and service is pretty bad as well. I am not sure I would ever go for VW aftersales over Skoda, both seem to leave a lot to be desired.

I like the VW Passat with its clean lines. But when you stack it up against the Superb, the Skoda is way better in looks, and overall the better car not withstanding VW preventing options like knee airbag, DCC, wood trims etc on the Superb.
Haven't looked at the detailed feature list yet, but expect some hits and misses...

[abhishek46]

Originally Posted by lancer_rit

In Bangalore, I found VW dealers worse than Skoda. They are not even interested to sell you anything, almost never have any higher end model in stock in various trims (Jetta, Passat in the past) and service is pretty bad as well. I am not sure I would ever go for VW aftersales over Skoda, both seem to leave a lot to be desired.

I like the VW Passat with its clean lines. But when you stack it up against the Superb, the Skoda is way better in looks, and overall the better car not withstanding VW preventing options like knee airbag, DCC, wood trims etc on the Superb.
Haven't looked at the detailed feature list yet, but if as per the post above, it has 2-zone Climatronic, then MY 2018 Superb has 3-zone even for the Style variant...

Well, my experience is the opposite. I stay in Bangalore.
I have found the service (5 services, accident repairs, rat damage repairs) for my Polo to be completely satisfactory.

[veedub89]

I am just happy that I have another global product to choose when I want to change my car next.
VW needs to give the Indian market global products, and not made-for-India only cheapos like the Ameo. Focus on your core strengths. Imitating won't get VW anywhere.

There is a market for these cars. Not everyone wants the flash of a big luxury marquee. The dealership experiences have been subjective. Some people report good experiences. I admit, there are bad experiences as well but do note that bad experiences tend to stand out.

The Passat is a good upgrade for the people currently driving the Lauras, Jettas, Citys, Vernas etc. Not everyone wants a SUV and for those people this 25-30lac range has very little sedans on offer. I can only think of the Superb, Accord and Camry. So not a lot of choice here.

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by veedub89

The Passat is a good upgrade for the people currently driving the Lauras, Jettas, Citys, Vernas etc. Not everyone wants a SUV and for those people this 25-30lac range has very little sedans on offer. I can only think of the Superb, Accord and Camry. So not a lot of choice here.

Exactly! Most of the buyers are going to be torn between the Superb & the Passat, when they are upgrading from their Lauras/Corollas/Jettas/etc.
And even in that segment you have those who are driven (Superb), and those who enjoy driving (Passat). Especially with the Camry and Accord being priced way out of range!

Someone had suggested why not get one of the Germans instead - but the Germans are a whole lot more expensive too at the end of the day, don't offer close to as much comfort and features.