New Passat B8 review

**Riker** · 24-10-2015, 05:25 PM

Hi all,

Dropped into the local dealer to view the new Passat & my very first impression was that it most definitely looks better in the flesh than in pics & vids. However in this new B8 as opposed to the old B7 the sedan now looks the better than the wagon. Subjective of course but the sedan does look good.

On offer today was a R-line 2.0 TDi wagon (140kw) & an R-line 2.0 TSi sedan (132kw). Both were fully specced & certainly looked & felt more upmarket than the B7's. Space is a bit of a revelation in comparison to the B7 which was good but the B8 is better thanks to the longer wheelbase & better packaging.

I elected to drive the TSi sedan cos' I ain't no fan of diesel & it looked better than the wagon. In R-line the progressive steering is standard & immediately the car feels more taught & better sorted than the B7's. It does turn in quicker than B7 but as reported is a bit choppy in sport mode running on the 19's. However, that is never really to intrusive & if needed can be sorted if switched to normal or comfort modes. As is always the case when taking a seat in a German car it feels solid & secure & sound insulation is very good. Radio was good in both AM-FM & the 8" screen with oodles of info available is a big winner.

Back to the cabin space question, leg room is fantastic as is foot room in the drivers footwell. In the pics of the cabin, specifically the rear seat pic you will see where the drivers seat is & subsequent room behind it. I am 6-2' fella's & leg room behind drivers seat was excellent. In comparison to the B7, the B8's cabin seems to sit lower or better put whilst more spacious still makes you feel snug & well cocooned. The sport seats are comfortable however a full memory-electric function is surprisingly not available at all. Not good enough VAG......!!!!!!

The 132kw-250nm 2.0ltr TSi with front wheel drive is willing & free revving but there is a little lag which is sorted by going into paddle shift mode. Ultimately though if like me you are coming from the 3.6 V6 then a bit disappointing. Don't get me wrong, it is still a great engine but it needs more. Coming from the V6 petrol Passat with 4-motion the obvious choice should be the 206kw 380nm 4-motion Golf R engine & drivetrain for the Passat. It is available in other markets such as NZ. VAG, are you listening....?

In summary, very impressed with the new B8's. Well packaged, as solid as ever & now better looking. Just need a better engine & drivetrain option at the top of the list & no, not the Bi-turbo diesel. I'm talking 206kw & 4-motion of petrol goodness.

**pseudofusion** · 24-10-2015, 05:58 PM

The <200kw option has me shopping elsewhere when moving on from my V6 Highline wagon. That faux-executive trophy clock in the centre of the dash seems to have unfortunately survived to the new B8 though.

**Elmura** · 24-10-2015, 10:58 PM

Side profile looks like BMW. Nice looking front

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**tigger73** · 25-10-2015, 07:44 AM

I saw a base model wagon the other day and it looked like.... a wagon. Styling wise the sedan looks a lot cleaner and I also like the R-line kit.

However it looks more purposeful than what is under the bonnet now. Shame there's no proper sports model in the range.

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**entice** · 25-10-2015, 10:33 AM

Originally Posted by tigger73

I saw a base model wagon the other day and it looked like.... a wagon. Styling wise the sedan looks a lot cleaner and I also like the R-line kit.

However it looks more purposeful than what is under the bonnet now. Shame there's no proper sports model in the range.

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Base model, simply put, looks ugly. Who signed off on the base model wheels??? R-Line wagon looks quite agressive compared to outgoing models

**00100100** · 25-10-2015, 10:12 PM

To me the B7 lost the sporty look that the B6 had. Now the B8 looks smarter and lightly meaner/sportier. I really like the shape improvement.

This time VAG is definitely trying to target a different market. I dont think the 4 motion option did very well for them in the B7. I drive a 3.6 B7 Highline, great car, but most people wouldnt care about the 4 motion, they will however care that it is an R-Line. Personally, 4 motion was a selling point for me.

**DarkStar69** · 26-10-2015, 04:16 PM

I don't know about anyone else but I am getting more and more disappointed as details trickle out. Most of the things that would make this good car great, to me at least, are missing. Even just taking the Australian press release, Volkswagen News < Volkswagen Australia < Why VW?, which highlights specific systems/technologies, and so would seem to indicate what we will be getting them, are now not actually going to be available. In fact most of them are not.

We get:
City Emergency Braking
Modular Infotainment System
Park Assist
Rear Traffic Alert
Side Assist

Miss out on:
4MOTION all-wheel drive
360-degree Area View
Active Info Display
bi-turbo diesel
Car-Net remote app
Dynamic Light Assist
Emergency Assist
Front Assist
heads-up display
plug-in hybrid
Traffic Jam Assist
Trailer Assist

I'm almost at the point where I'll wait for the new Audi A4 in Feb, which I'm sure is exactly the intent behind these decisions. However if I do that I would also seriously consider the BMW and MB alternatives so VAG is risking a guaranteed VW sale for the possibility of a future Audi one.

**00100100** · 26-10-2015, 06:00 PM

Originally Posted by DarkStar69

I don't know about anyone else but I am getting more and more disappointed as details trickle out. Most of the things that would make this good car great, to me at least, are missing. Even just taking the Australian press release, Volkswagen News < Volkswagen Australia < Why VW?, which highlights specific systems/technologies, and so would seem to indicate what we will be getting them, are now not actually going to be available. In fact most of them are not.

I'm almost at the point where I'll wait for the new Audi A4 in Feb, which I'm sure is exactly the intent behind these decisions. However if I do that I would also seriously consider the BMW and MB alternatives so VAG is risking a guaranteed VW sale for the possibility of a future Audi one.

With the B7, when if first came out in 2011, it also missed out on a lot of options that were already released in Euro countries. However they were added gradually in subsequent years. May be wait for the 2017 module hehehe

**Steve** · 26-10-2015, 08:21 PM

I think VW/Audi Australia think brand loyalty is stronger than it really is. Once I figured out the B8 as sold here would be completely underwhelming I didn't even consider the Audi alternative. I took my money and ran.