COTY
Gallery 1
Trades sex appeal for sense appeal, but does it move the innovation meter?
SEXY isn’t a COTY criteria, which is probably a good thing for the Volkswagen Passat.
As with previous Passat iterations, this newly minted mid-sizer is all about clean-cut visual neatness, yet it rollicked all over the five COTY criteria.
It stormed into the second round with the frugality and verve of its four-cylinder engines, all the while impressing with a cabin that generates a premium ambience well beyond the car’s $35K starting price.
But value was a two-part story with the Passat. In its most affordable form, the 132TSI, those elegantly executed Teutonic finishes and its exemplary attention to detail allow it to soar above rivals.
Yet in the $50K-plus Highline with R-Line sporties thrown in, the only-partial electric seat adjustment and lack of features such as digital radio are suddenly more apparent. Cheap sound from the audio system is also a rare letdown.
From the driver’s seat, Passat’s understated demeanour transforms into a tantalising handler. Refinement is top notch, too, especially in the 132TSI, which uses its 1.8-litre turbo to good effect. Modest 132kW/250Nm outputs are helped by a slick-shifting seven-speed dual-clutch ’box. The diesel isn’t as adept, with some top-end breathlessness.
One key to its talent is impressive weight saving, a result of increased use of aluminium. From 1450kg, it’s one of the lighter medium cars on the market – which that helps agility, performance and fuel economy.
Yet it was the lack of genuine innovation – Passat is more about refining a proven formula – that saw its COTY run end in the second round. That and the fact the Passat was up against a stellar field, and one with a diversity and breadth COTY has never experienced before.
