In July, Volkswagen unveiled the new Passat at its world premiere in Potsdam. Just recently the eighth generation of this best-selling car celebrated its trade show debut as one of the highlights at the Paris Motor Show. And already the story continues: in the middle of November the new Passat is being launched initially in Germany; and the very next week the pan-European launch begins. Further international markets and the right-hand-drive versions will follow step-by-step from 2015. Everything in this car is new. Its design, technologies, engines and possibilities. The Passat sets new standards with an unladen weight that has been reduced by up to 85 kg and its fuel economy figures that have been improved by up to 20 per cent. For the first time there will also be a version with a hybrid plug-in drive system: the Passat GTE. 22 million units produced. The launch of the eighth generation Passat marks the debut of the latest version of a global bestseller. When all derivatives are included, nearly 22 million units have been built. In 2013 alone, over 1.1 million people chose to buy a model from this series. Last year, on average, somewhere in the world a Passat, or a Magotan in China, was sold every 29 seconds. That’s two Passat cars a minute, 126 an hour and more than 3,000 a day. Every day. The Passat from Volkswagen is the Group’s most successful model.
The climate control system is straightforward and easy to use. However, on our test car, which had the optional navigation system, the radio controls were somewhat inane. Touch pads are simply not appropriate for controlling car stereos. Too many touches are required for things like changing from radio to CD, or adjusting the tone and balance. The volume steps were also rather high. The stereo did have very good sound, but it seemed to be designed for those who set tone, balance, and stations once and leave them there. The navigation system itself is well designed and very helpful. The car comes with a nine-CD subscription, so that as roads change, the car's information is updated. It figures out where you are through a satellite-based global positioning system which can guess where you are to a fairly close distance; the unit's intelligence figures out the rest. Usually, it knew exactly where we were, though it sometimes slipped up a little. We also found ourselves driving through what it thought was uncharted forest and swamp.
Though knowing where you are on the map (and being able to easily zoom in and out) is helpful, what we often really need are good directions from a very patient person. The navigation system fortunately also features turn-by-turn guidance, with a female voice calmly telling us where to turn (with plenty of notice), usually with great accuracy. There are options to avoid tolls or take the fastest route. The system reacted well when we did not take its advice, quietly finding a new route and giving us updated instructions. It also lists practically every business you can want, from gas stations to museums to restaurants. This is a very useful, clever system, and we just wish there was room for a real stereo next to it. With such a good navigation system, it would almost seem like a shame to have to make hotel reservations from home. That's where OnStar comes in. It is basically a cellphone, in this case actuated from a button on the mirror (why not the mirror?), which connects you to a host of friendly concierges.
They can tell you where the nearest gas or police station is, but so can the navigation system. They can also book rooms for you in a motel in the town you'll be in after you drive for another three hours, which the navigation system, good as it is, cannot do. In brief, this is a terribly clever and useful system. One year of OnStar's premium concierge service comes with the DTS. OnStar is also useful in case of emergencies, as one would expect. The system automatically tells OnStar staffers when an airbag inflates, so that if a driver is hurt in an accident, help can be immediately dispatched. An emergency button is next to the standard OnStar call button. The night driving system is another interesting innovation. A small video camera takes the place of the Cadillac logo on the grille, and at night, if the headlights are on, a black and white infrared picture is reflected off the windshield (if desired).
It clearly shows any pedestrians or animals in the road. However, you still need to use your plain old-fashioned windshield, and because it is a telephoto lens it will not detect deer or people in the bushes. This system is very useful on dark straight roads, but in the city or on crowded highways, it should probably be left off. Another aid to navigation is a backup helper. Several sensors in the bumper are activated when the car is put into reverse, and they turn on three lights, one at a time, as the driver backs up to warn of the amount of space left. A tone also sounds as the driver backs up, but it probably is not needed, since the lights are placed so they are clearly visible through the rear view mirror. One convenience feature which is probably overkill is the automatic parking brake release. Unfortunately, the parking brake is still the kind where you push down once to set, once to release, which sometimes makes setting it a nuisance. The vent system has three ones, one for the driver, one for the passenger, and one for the rear seats.
