My cousin in the UK calls it the ideal family car. In deference to the difference in the standard of living between the two countries, we will simply call it a luxury car. No, we are not talking about the Bavarian beast BMW or the tri-star Mercedes Benz. It’s another German giant, the sixth generation Volkswagen (VW) Passat, the 2-litre turbo diesel automatic saloon that is the first made-in-India VW vehicle.
The 140 bhp sedan is not for wannabes who want to be seen at the wheel of a loud, flashy machine. The Passat may be more expensive than the average car, but it is for those who simply want to drive fast, enjoy luxury and revel in modern technology. VW has armed the Passat with a new body, improved performance and features that should give the BMW 3-Series and the Mercedes Benz C-Class sleepless nights.

Exterior
When it comes to styling, there’s just one way to describe the Passat—understated class. The turbo diesel sedan’s wide V-shaped chrome grille gives it a fantastic road presence which guarantees much head-turning. Its design is similar to older brother Phaeton’s and it has bi-xenon headlights that illuminate the road brilliantly at night. The circular-rectangular headlights give the car a sleek look and the hi-tech LED rear lamps change colour as required—red for braking and amber when taking a turn. Hide the chrome VW logo on the bonnet and the Passat can easily be mistaken for a less aggressive and fresher looking Audi.

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