Volkswagen Passat 2.0 TDI Bluemotion SE

Just announced as American car magazine, Motor Trend's 2012 Car of The Year, there's no doubt that the latest Volkswagen Passat is one of the more stylish and spacious members of the D segment.

Volkswagen might be claiming that the latest model is all-new, but in fact it's a clever face-lift of the 2005 car. To see how it compares with both the Mondeo and Insignia, I spent a week with a Passat 2.0-litre TDi 140 SE Bluemotion, costing £22,035.

This is the first face-lift for the current Passat and is basically a top and tail job. At the front, there's a new version of the Volkswagen family nose, with new lights, grille and a reprofiled front bumper.
Move to the side and there's just a revised set of wing-mirrors and to complete the look, a new set of rear lights, bumper and boot at the back.

Our test car was fitted with one of just three diesel engines available for the Passat, the 2.0-litre, TDi diesel engine with 138bhp. Bluemotion technology tweaks, which include Stop/Start, gearchange indicator and low rolling resistance tyres, equal emissions of just 119g/km and excellent 60.1mpg fuel consumption figures.

The Passat's power-assisted steering is light, but lacks feel and isn't as involving as a Mondeo. Still, it's fine on the motorway. With the long front and rear overhangs, parking the Volkswagen wouldn't have been easy if it hadn't been fitted with the optional front and rear parking sensors and a rear view camera. If you're looking to buy a Passat, this seems £710 well spent.

The Passat's handling is best described as safe rather than exciting. Body roll is well controlled, I just wished it had felt tighter. The ride in general is refined, but considering how supple it is, too many bumps make themselves known in the cabin.
Build quality is up to usual Volkswagen standards and there's no doubt the Passat feels better made than a Mondeo or Insignia. The interior of our SE test car was unexciting, but felt durable and as though it was built to last.

The 2.0-litre TDi diesel engine is generally smooth, refined but is a bit noisy at idle. It gives its best in the mid-range, with a massive 320Nm of torque available from low down the rev range.

The six-speed manual gearbox has a positive change and works well with the diesel engine; 60mph comes up in 9.8 seconds and on to a top speed of 132mph.

A multi-adjustable driving position means most should get comfortable in the front of the Passat, I just wish the seat was more supportive. Legroom in the back is equally generous and the 48 litre boot is a practical size.
Our test car was in mid-range SE trim which includes 17-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, bluetooth and air-conditioning. There were quite a few costly options fitted to our test car including £1,815 of navigation system, with AUX-in socket for connection to mp3 players.

The Passat's single-disc CD stereo is good quality, with plenty of bass and treble from the seven-speakers.

To sum up, whilst the Passat might not be the driver's car of this class, business and private buyers will apreciate the Bluemotion tweaks, which mean useful gains in economy and drops in Co2 emissions. On top of this, the Passat is also well-made, with a spacious interior.