Vokswagen Passat 2009 Review

There was a time when a coupe was a two-door, two-plus-two seater with a close-cut body shape.

But now there are many four-door models labelled coupes, such as Volkswagen's new Passat CC (Comfort Coupe).

The easiest way to distinguish them is by the wheels. The diesel has five-spoke alloys, while the V6 has 10-spoke wheels that look like turbo fans.

Its body shape is similar to the beautiful Mercedes-Benz four-door CLS "coupe" with a similar `untrendy’ amount of front and rear overhang that works.

It features frameless windows, a subtle rear spoiler and a larger-than-normal VW emblem on the grille.

They come with a host of standard equipment that goes to justifying the $8000-$9000 premium over the sedan.

Standard equipment includes automatic three-stage dampers (Adaptive Chassis Control), Bi-Xenon headlights with dynamic and static cornering, dual-zone airconditioning, electronic adjustable front seats, four heated leather seats, three-spoke leather steering wheel with paddle shifters, automatic hill hold, parking distance sensors front and rear, rain-sensing wipers, automatic boot lid opening and an acoustic windscreen which reduces noise by 2-4dB.

Standard safety equipment involves eight airbags, ABS, brake assist, electronic brakeforce distribution, anti-slip regulation and electronic stability control.

Options include adaptive cruise control with front assist, the self-parking system available in the Tiguan, satellite navigation, rear-view camera, media interface for iPod and other MP3 and DVD players, adaptive cruise control with front assist, and an electrically powered Panoramic glass roof that can be pivoted 30mm.

There are eight different exterior colours available and three leather trims.

There is also active climate control on the front vented seats which is only available in the black leather trim.

Volkswagen Group Australia managing director Jutta Dierks says the car will provide VW with "a chance for existing customers to upgrade and also to talk to new customers who have never talked to us".

"The car is packed with new technology which is easy to use."

Driving

The was certainly no challenge for the proven driving dynamics of the Passat on a bunch of straight B-grade country roads and freeways.

However, it was enough to determine that the adaptive chassis control worked quite well, distributing variable damping characteristics to each wheel independently.

The comfort setting was ideal for the lumpy country roads. The sport setting didn't get a look in with an absence of twisty tar on the program.

The electro-mechanical steering felt a little numb, but still a precise tiller.

Freeway stints helped demonstrate that while the acoustic film in the windscreen reduces high-speed buffeting, there is still a fair amount of wind noise from the frameless windows.

The big 310mm discs on the TDI and 345mm discs on the V6 proved to be strong stoppers with a little too much initial bite, requiring deft application.

The rear carpeted cargo area is flat, even though there is a full-sized spare under the floor.

Despite the swooping roofline, rear adult passengers have ample head and leg room, although the centre console is too wide and prevents a passenger from `lounging’ or sleeping across the seats.

And access is much easier in a four-door coupe than a traditional two-door model.

Price: 125kW TDI $54,990, V6 FSI $65,990

Engines: 4-cylinder 1968cc inline turbo diesel; V6 3597cc petrol

Power: 125kW @ 4200rpm (TDI); 220kW @ 6600rpm

Torque: 350Nm from 1750-2500rpm; 350Nm from 2400-5300rpm

Transmission: 6-speed DSG, front-wheel drive (TDI), 4MOTION all wheel drive (V6)

Performance: 0-100km/h 8.6 seconds (TDI), 5.6s (V6)

Economy (combined): 6.3L/100km (TDI), 10.5 (V6)

CO2: 166g/km (TDI), 254 (V6)