FIRST DRIVE: B8 Volkswagen Passat 1.8 TSI Malaysian review – RM160k-RM186k

The D-segment sedan market is very competitive in Malaysia, with so many options to choose fromThe Volkswagen Passat however is pretty much the only European option with a mainstream appealnext to the usual Japanese suspectsWe’ve already compared the top-spec 2. 0 litre model against more premium rivals inour Driven Web Series, and it fared quite well there. Here we have the 1. 8 litre TSIwhich is priced more closely towards the likes of the Honda Accord and Toyota CamryThis 1. 8 TSI Comfortline Plus retails for RM186kThat’s about 10% more than comparable models such as the Accord 2. 4 and Camry 2. 5 HybridBut with rebates, low interest rates and free service packages offeredby Volkswagen, you may be surprised how affordable this can be next to the Japanese optionsThere’s also the 1. 8 litre Trendline version for just over RM160kBut if you’re looking for a Passat, you should at leastgo for the Comfortline because this adds on quite a few itemsMost important visually are the full LED headlamps instead of lame reflectors on the low-spec modelplus prettier 18-inch alloy wheels on this Plus modelComfortline trim also adds on keyless entry, powered leather seats, cruise control, reverse cameraand a powered boot – all of which are absolute essentials in this classOne of the Passat’s key design features is how well it hides its bulkAt almost 4. 8 meters, it’s almost as long as a Toyota Camry and Honda Accordbut it doesn’t really look all that big does it?And the wheelbase – that’s even longer than both of those carsFor such a long car I think this is a very handsome, very elegantly styled carIt may not have the extra boldness of say the Mazda 6 and the Kia Optimabut this is the more classy approach – very classically VolkswagenMoving inside you get a clean and neat dashboard design, precisely as you’d expectfrom the German carmaker – there’s very little flash but it’s full of substanceVolkswagen has really nailed the ergonomics of this car – all the majorcontrols are exactly where you want them to be, the touchscreen here has excellentvery easy to use interface and the aircon controls are very logically arrangedThe same goes for the driving position too – the level of adjustments available hereis the best in class, so you can get really comfortable behind the wheelAs for the seats themselves, they are quite hard, very Germanic, but it’s very wellshaped, very supportive for long journeys. It also has powered lumbar adjustment anda memory function, which are not commonly found in this class. There’s a massagefunction too but to be honest it’s one of those gimmicks that you’ll try once and never use againBuild quality is one of Volkswagen’s key strengths and thePassat is a very good example of that – in terms of perceived quality this getscloser to the Mercedes-Benz C-Class than it is to the Honda AccordThe whole top of the dashboard is finished in this plush soft touch material and fit and finishis absolutely faultless. But of course as you get lower the plastics get harderas you can see here, but at least they’ve kept the cheap hard plastics to a minimumOn the downside this variant doesn’t get the full LCD Active Info Displaythat’s on the Passat 2. 0 and Tiguan Highline models, and while thehead unit does support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the blurry reverse cameradisplay should really be better than this! On Comfortline models and up you getVolkswagen’s Park Assist which supports parallel, perpendicular and even forward-in parkingBut the thing is it really takes its own sweet time and if youreally have a big problem parking a car with all-around sensors and a reverse cameramaybe you should just consider using Uber/Grab insteadAs for rear passengers, you get a lot of space – it’s absolutely massive back here and theseats themselves are very well shaped but more for two rather than threeYou can also control the temperature back here but not the fan speedOn the other hand, you don’t get side window blinds like in most of its rivals and even the rearsunshade is missing on this model. So you’re gotta be sitting in the back heremore than in front there are better options elsewhereThe boot however is humongous at 586 litres – that’s the biggest inclass by far, around 30% larger than its Japanese rivals and that’s with afull-size spare tyre available under the floor too which makes it even more impressiveAs for safety the Passat has a full 5-star EuroNCAP rating, six airbagsand ESC but unfortunately it’s short on active safety features like theHonda Sensing Suite on the AccordSo after all that, what’s the new Passat like to drive? Well long story shortit’s a very solid performer. Up front is a 1. 8 litre turbochargeddirect-injection petrol engine making 180 PS and 250 Nm of torquethat is a full 20 PS more than old B7 Passat and 5 more than the Honda Accord 2. 4Sending power to the front wheels is a 7-speed dry dual clutch DSG transmissionNow, dry dual-clutch may set off some alarms to some people but Volkswagen Malaysiainsists that it has solved any issues with the systemTo drive, this is as good as ever – DSG is still the very best in thebusiness when it comes to dual-clutch transmissions, offering smooth and quickgear changes – this is much better than anything else that other brands withsimilar transmissions can offer. Tell you what, this is much better thanMercedes-Benz’s wet dual-clutch transmission by a big, big marginMost of the time, DSG feels like a really good torque converter automatic, and that’s a good thingit’s only when you’re going really slowly, when you’re pulling off fromstandstill that there’s a little bit of hesitancy from the throttle – this can geta little bit annoying at times but after a few days you’ll get used to ityou’ll just compensate with earlier pedal inputsOther than that the engine and transmission combo is excellentOn full throttle it gets from 0 to 100 in just under 8 seconds – for a big car like thisthat is rapid. There’s almost zero need to use paddle shifters or even the sport modebecause even the normal driving mode is good enough, quick enoughresponsive enough for all your driving inputsThe thing is though while the engine is more than happy to serve up high speedsthe chassis is less happy doing soIt’s just not set up that way. Very few D-segment sedans are tuned to be fun to drive andthis is certainly not one of them. The Passat favours comfort over handling andin this case that is not a bad thing. The steering especially can feel alittle bit light especially off-center when you’re going hard through cornersso you’re not going to feel 100% confident from behind the wheel buthaving said that grip levels are excellentso it’s certainly safe and competent just not a lot of funThe Passat is a lot more enjoyable when you’re taking it easy, and at a cruise it’s oh so comfortableand the engine is very quiet – barely ticking over at 2,000 rpm whenyou’re going 110 km/h. If there’s a complaint, there’s just a little bit toomuch road noise from the tyres that spoils the experience a little bit butother than that it’s fantastic! So on the whole refinement is reallyreally good and you’ll struggle to find a better car in this class to eat up the miles inAs a D-segment sedan, that’s much more important than driving fun, don’t you think?There you have it, the Volkswagen Passat 1. 8 in Malaysia – overall it’s a verysolid performer on the move and it has a very premium and practical interior insideIf you’re looking for a classy D-segment sedan with Europeansophistication should definitely consider this oneSo over to you would you buy this car over a Honda Accord, Toyota Camry orthe Nissan Teana? Let us know in the comments below this is me Hafriz Shah frompaultan. org, thank you for watching

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