Yes, we get the VW Passat in Thailand, but
no, we do not get this model, which our Down-Under
correspondent John Weinthal describes as a VW flagship in
Australia - and one with a unique engine. The biggest engine
for Thailand is the 2.3 V5, which pushes the Passat to just
under 2 million baht.
VW
Passat
This particular Passat on review sports 4
wheel drive and a 4 litre W 8 engine configuration. Here are
the Words from Weinthal.
“Volkswagen Australia’s flagship sedan
has a unique engine configuration and a price tag as close to
AUD 100,000 as makes no real difference. (That is about 2.7
million baht in Oz, expect that figure to be doubled at least
is you want to bring one in from Germany - Dr. Iain.)
“Its nameplate goes some way to
explaining what this car is all about - VW Passat W8 4Motion.
These days the letters VW undoubtedly spell build quality, no
matter which product one is considering. I rate Volkswagen -
together with its Audi kin - alongside Lexus at the very
pinnacle in this sphere.
“The
name Passat is familiar enough for VW’s medium-luxury sedan
range - restrained style, neither over the top nor gimmicky in
its equipment; cars that get about their business in a
purposeful dignified manner.
“4Motion is the German company’s
designation for constant four-wheel-drive. We have reviewed it
previously in the AUD 65,000 V6 Passat and the smaller,
sporting and hugely appealing 55 grand 150kW V6 Bora.
“That leaves the W8 part of the test
car’s lengthy name. It refers to the engine of course. VW
describes this as being like two 15 degree V4s fused together
with staggered cylinder bores. It is offset 72 degrees. This
enables this 4 litre eight cylinder unit which develops an
impressive 202kW of power and 370 Nm of torque to sit
comfortably, albeit tightly, in the regular Passat engine bay.
“While the Passat is compact in size it
is no lightweight at 1787 kg. This is some 90 kg more than a
Ford Falcon and more than 200kg up on the Holden Commodore
(Chevrolet Lumina in Thailand).
“However, the Passat W8 is no slouch. It
can cover the 0-100 sprint with a delicious growl from the
twin exhausts in under 8 seconds. It will surge on to an
artificially stifled top speed of 250 kph - although the
inclusion of a 300kph speedo more than strains credibility.
“In fact, all the instruments are
difficult to read by day or night with red needles pointers on
black analogue dials and black on grey digitals by day. At
night there’s a confusion of misty blue and dayglo red
information sources.
“Standard items include brilliant
bi-xenon headlamps, useful parking distance control, a
chillable glove box and a solar sunroof which maintains an
in-car temperature of 20 degrees when it is parked. The driver
has a three-memory eight-way power adjustable seat. The W8
rides on 45 profile tyres on chunky 17x7 inch alloy wheels
which have anti-theft bolts.
“There are well-shaped but firmish
leather seats plus most of the usual goodies. There is a
single disc CD player in the fascia and a six-stacker in the
boot. The in-dash CD player cannot be used at the same time as
the Satellite Navigation which has the least informative and
smallest screen encountered to date, mounted well beyond the
driver’s normal vision.
“The transmission is a five-sped auto
with Steptronic control. VW’s 4Motion system incorporates a
Torsen differential and four electronic diff locks.
“Safety features include six airbags,
anti-lock brakes with brake assist and brake pressure
distribution and electronic stability control in addition plus
the reassurance of constant all-wheel-drive.
“For all this, the Passat W8 is not truly
convincing as a 100 grand contender. The build quality is A1,
but the ride is jiggly on less than good road surfaces. The
handling constantly reminds one that this is a heavyweight in
spite of its overall dimensions. Understeer rules,
discouraging over-exertion on twisty roads.
“The W8 engine is smooth and it sounds
terrific. On our drive the Passat W8 was not unduly thirsty
with a good range assured by an 82 litre fuel tank.
“Along with the genuinely impressive V8
and V10 diesel Touareg off-roaders, this model of the Passat
is intended to warm the well-heeled to the idea of VW as a
serious contender in motoring’s upper reaches prior to the
arrival of the seriously luxurious Phaeton next year powered
by another W configuration powerplant, but with 12
cylinders.”
Thank you John for your overview of the all wheel drive
Passat. I wonder when (if) we’ll get it here?
Back
to our local event. There has to be two drivers for each car,
but the driver who starts has to be the driver who also takes
the chequered flag at the end - a novel twist! There will also
be a need to refuel, so the pit crews are going to be busy.
One factor often overlooked by teams is that the drivers
should ideally be around the same size. Many of the race car
seats are bolted in and are not adjustable.
The
answer was the Mitsubishi Jeep, models J54 and J24 which were
powered by a 2.7 litre diesel engine.
Prius
