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-   -   Driven: Volkswagen Passat (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/194694-driven-volkswagen-passat-5.html)

Was at Mysore today and visited VW showroom. Could spend some time with Passat (updated) which was on display. Could not get a test drive as the TD car was not available. Few clarifications are as below:

The driver seatbase can NOT be extended manually any more.

New head unit looks fabulous but does not have that retro looks.

Auto dimming function is available ONLY on the driver side (rhs) ORVM!!

Driver and front passenger seats are both heated and ventilated. Therefore, temperature can be controlled. There is a fan below the seat whose speed can be varied for ventilating the seat. For heating, the temperature can be selected in 3 steps.

Key-fob range is 2 feet max for operating the doors keyless. For using it as a remote, the range is 10 mtrs.

Excellent build quality / fit / finish. :D


RIM size is 7j. Will it take 235 width?


Also I observed that there is no MUTE button on either the steering control or the new head unit! If voice control button on the steering wheel is depressed, it does mute stereo volume but also goes to Voice control mode. 😟

I could not find the Passat's GC mentioned anywhere. I suspect the GC is same as Europe as DCC is not available for raised rough road suspension. Atleast, this is what I gathered on the Superb... So, if ride height is lower, then one has to keep suspension in Sport or Dynamic (?) to reduce bottoming out of the long wheelbase ?

Glad you went ahead and saw the changes on the Passat yourself.
For 235 tyres, it is preferred to have a 7.5" rim width.
But we have been running 225 tyres on 6.5" rims since a long time now. There will be a slight bulge in the tyre wall but should be able to take 235 comfortably.

So they have deleted the extendable under thigh support? What a nuisance! :Frustrati wish you had some pics of the interior.

Looks like the Ventilated seats do not have the provision to extend. Therefore this omission.

Unfortunately I took only one picture of the HU. Even that has reflection and therefore did not post it earlier.



You can see the Heater / Ventilator settings.

These little add ons really make it a sensible choice over the smaller 3 series BMW. I mean if you look feature to feature, theres no competition between the HU here and iDrive which now comes with Apple CarPlay. 3 series didn't have cruise control too, which is now standard in MY2018 models. Prices are near identical after discounts. Biggest draw factor for me in the BMW:
1) Low slung seats, you sit really close to the ground which I enjoy in a car.
2) Complete new experience on the inside with the BMW. For the Passat, I could operate each function with my eyes closed since coming from the Octy.
3) If I wanted the Passat, why not the RS? Hoot of a car, and I save 7 Lakhs for mods such as 18" wheels, new tyres etc. BUT, same old-same old. Skoda reliability and after sales worries me. Water pump on my Octy has failed for the second time in one year. (separate post on my review thread later)
4) BMW = Rear Wheel Drive. This is one thing I really felt made the difference in driving pleasure.
5) Both, Passat facelift and gen change for 3 Series are around the corner.

Tough decisions ahead for both of us. lol:

I don’t think Passat facelift will be launched in India anytime soon. It will probably be launched in Jan 2020.

But until then, VW will Keep adding a feature or two, every time they import new kits.

I like the present model’s exterior; especially the front grill. I feel the facelift is a bit overdone.

Looks like contemporary designs gel well with my taste. 😊

Some interior pictures of the updated Passat:

215 cross-section is the widest you can put on 6.5" rims. Superb Style has this size (skimping by Skoda as L&K has 7" rims) and no upgrade possible without changing wheels.
7.5" can easily take 235mm tyres as you mentioned.

Off topic is there any chance VAG will get any souped up versions of the Passat or Superb like a 280 4x4 config?

Want a BIG extra powerful saloon and don't want to reach the Uncle category so soon :-)

This is one of my wishlists, a Passat/superb with a 200+ HP TSI engine and the active info display. If they ever do that I would buy this instantly, it would be the almost perfect sedan.

Casually TD'ed the Passat today. Came away sadly unimpressed at the German 'taxi' feeling, uncle-type interior and average sound insulation.

Sad because I was actively considering it as an upgrade to my Octavia TSI. Nice spacious black interiors but I felt it to be a bit too old. The dark blue paint colour is a real draw though!

Some more from me taken today. Interiors were high quality but not very special:

Actually, the discount is about 6 lakhs currently

Can someone please explain what this is about? Not being able to figure out the economics of the massive price difference is killing me.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...5-99-lakh.html

Sharing my post from the other thread:

I have made a few trips to VW showrooms since the price cut/variant change so would like to summarize my experience and put a few questions for the esteemed members. :)

For people who are in the market for the Octavia L/K, this price cut really shakes things up. Listing my experience from showroom visits and inquiries:

• Dealers don’t have a clear idea about the differences between the Comfortline/Highline variants.
• The current brochure lists 'DCC', advanced camera systems and the sunroof as the main differentiators between these variants but the sales advisors mentioned that the Comfortline lacks a lot more features including but not limited to the start/stop system, LED headlights etc.
• I confronted them saying that either you or the brochure is wrong to which they checked and confirmed that the brochure is accurate. Not the most confidence inspiring thing to say the least.
• But, the plot thickens. As of writing this post, the variant comparison on the website differs from the brochure. E.g. It lists that Comfortline lacks the "Bluetooth telephone preparation" features while the brochure has this box checked.
• You would think that this is enough confusion but wait, there's more.
• VW mentions that the headlights and taillights are LEDs, but astute readers would note that in international markets, the Passat ships with distinct types of taillights for different variants even though both are essentially LEDs. There is a difference in design and since the Headlight/Taillight pattern literally makes or breaks the look of the car it is a very critical thing that cannot be left to chance. But as most dealers have never delivered the Comfortline and VAG's constant reshuffling of features, the sales advisors would be clueless about this. Haven’t bothered asking such a difficult question till now.
• Discounts have been standard in the form of 40k Loyalty, 60k exchange bonus and 60k corporate
  

So, we are left with these open questions:

1. Has anyone bought or seen the Comfortline in person? It would be helpful if you can share some images especially about the headlights/taillights
2. Any other discounts that can be negotiated?
3. Does it make sense to stretch from the Octavia TSI L/K to the Passat TDI Comfortline. We are losing a few features for a segment upgrade but would like to know which one will be better overall with a focus on performance/reliability.

Thank you for reading the long post. :D

I am not sure of the features, but last I heard there were discounts of 6L on the Passat here in Mumbai (on the old variants, not this new connect edition).

Between the Octavia & Passat, here are my observations:

1) Octavia easier to drive in city + bigger boot + better ground clearance compared to the few Passat's I have seen.
2) Passat will be more powerful, with significantly nicer interiors in terms of design and quality, will hold it's value better being a more premium car and also newer (Octavia is already face-lifted), and though the Passat is a little bigger in terms of legroom - the Octavia with it's light colours and slightly higher seating will feel equally spacious. Also, the Passat comes with a much better rear suspension (multi-link) translating into better ride and handling than the Octavia TDi.

Regarding reliability - I wouldn't be too worried about the suspension or the engine on either car. However VW for some incomprehensible reason has always been a little more expensive to maintain than the Skoda sibling but there isn't a significant difference in terms of features / specs of both so I wouldn't worry too much about that either but it would be worth checking out if the Passat AC Compressor is the same part as the Superb / Octavia (more suited for our conditions - IIRC the AC Compressor was a problem for new batches of Laura, Octavia, Superb, VW, Audi cars but was reworked for indian conditions at least for the Skodas to be more reliable).