WE had a Passat when I was a kid so I have something of a soft-spot for the model. My memories of it are fond and if you buy one of the latest ones I’d imagine a few years down the line you might feel the same. It’s not going to set your heart a flutter, but name me a VW that does. They are just very good at doing what they are designed for. Our BlueMotion car was powered by a 1.6 litre TDI engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. It’s not the biggest of powerplants, and admittedly you have to work it hard to get the best from it, but that said, it was more than powerful enough for my daily commute. THE BlueMotion is based on the entry level S-model, but the cabin does not feel bargain basement. It’s typically VW - pleasant, neat, tidy, without any unnecessary excitement.
The seats are comfortable, the views are good, in short there’s a lot to like and not a lot to moan about. STANDARD features include ABS, electronic brake-press distribution, keyless start, stop-start engine function, battery regeneration, hill hold function, multi-function trip computer, electronic parking brake, manual air conditioning, electric windows and electrically heated and adjustable door mirrors. In addition, there was split-folding 60:40 seating, Bluetooth, 6.5ins touchscreen, USB, 17ins alloys, sports suspension, BlueMotion styling pack, chrome trim, LED lighting. Our test car added parking sensors, Convenience pack including rain sensor, tyre pressure monitoring system, carpet mats, adaptive cruise control and voice activation. THE Passat feels a particularly spacious car. There should be no complaints if there’s four people onboard. Add a fifth and you might get a few quibbles from the person in the middle, but they should just appreciate the lift and keep quiet. The boot is large and incorporates a ski-hatch to allow bulky items to be carried, while still enabling you to carry passengers. The seats fold almost flat, but not quite. THE Passat BlueMotion is capable of returning more than 76mpg on the combined cycle. There’s three year/60,000 mile warranty, three years paint and 12 years’ body protection. In addition, you get a year’s Volkswagen Assistance. If installing an Android Car Stereo in your car, that would be great!
By continuously adjusting the timing of the inlet camshaft on both banks of the V8 depending on the engine speed and load, Jaguar’s engineers have ensured large improvements in torque, particularly at lower revs. The system is controlled by the Engine Management System (EMS) which receives engine speed, throttle position and oil temperature data from its sensors. The EMS determines the correct inlet camshaft timing by continuously referring to a digital three-dimensional map developed to provide optimum performance. The EMS then transmits the appropriate signals to two solenoids that control the degree of hydraulic force provided to the valve actuators. The normally aspirated 4.2-litre XK has been praised for its acoustic qualities, remaining unobtrusive and relaxed at modest speeds but producing an unmistakeable V8 soundtrack when worked hard. On the XKR, the presence of supercharger whine threatened to dominate the acoustic character and mask the underlying sound quality. However, through enhancements to the vehicle acoustic pack, the supercharger noise has been reduced by 5dB compared to the previous XKR. This approach to acoustics allowed the engineers to concentrate on using the exhaust system to deliver the best possible sound quality character.
Transmission: Jaguar's Sequential Shift uniquely combines all the speed and involvement of a sequential manual gearbox with the comfort and convenience of a full automatic. The system consists of steering wheel-mounted paddles and a conventional gear selector lever, allowing the driver to switch between three automatic or paddle-operated gearbox modes. Whereas an automated manual gearbox interrupts the flow of torque during the gearchange - while the clutch is disengaged - the Jaguar's gearbox maintains the flow of torque throughout the shifting process. This results in gearchanges that are not only quick, but also remarkably smooth. Gearshifts are achieved in less than 600 milliseconds, from the point at which the driver operates the shift paddle to the point at which the shift is complete. The three gearbox modes give the driver total flexibility to use the transmission to match whatever driving style he or she chooses. In Drive mode, the gearbox behaves as a conventional automatic, with the software optimised for every day driving conditions providing all the benefits of a best-in-class automatic transmission. In Sport mode, the gearbox's adaptive software becomes more prevalent, adapting and reacting more dynamically to demanding conditions.
This software takes account of the prevailing conditions and driver's inputs and adapts accordingly. Manual mode is activated by simply operating one of the steering wheel-mounted paddles, and delivers a state-of-the-art manual gear shift feel from the automatic transmission. Chassis, Suspension And Brakes: To ensure optimum ride and handling the XKR’s springs and dampers are uprated compared to the normally aspirated XK. Because of the inherent strength and stiffness of the chassis, the only significant addition to the XKR’s structure is an additional rear suspension brace mounted between the rear damper towers to accommodate the significant increase in rear spring rate. This also allows the Convertible to utilise the same dynamic settings as the Coupe model. As significant to the XKR as the increases in power and torque are the major improvements in strength and weight thanks to its advanced all-aluminium architecture. In fact, the new XKR’s aluminium chassis is significantly lighter and stiffer in both Coupe and Convertible form than the steel model it replaces.
