The current generation Volkswagen Passat made its debut in India a little over a year ago and I remember telling myself that this is a car that does everything right. I was on the media drive from Udaipur to Jaipur and the way the Passat performed while keeping me and my colleagues cocooned in comfort was enough to convince me that this car is in many ways the ideal luxury car for a market like India. My first drive review elaborated on why I thought so.
Having been so impressed by the car, I jumped at the opportunity to take it for another drive recently. This wasn’t a long run – just a simple dash from Mumbai to Pune, but the route gives you enough time to experience the car in different driving conditions; from the potholed roads of Mumbai (thanks to the metro construction) to the fine stretch of tarmac of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, the ghat up to Lonavala and the narrow and chaotic speed-breaker loving roads of Pune, you can say that I had a fair opportunity to check the Passat out on more than just a pure flat-out performance parameter. In fact, I remember laughing at myself for calling this route the litmus test for ‘Indian driving conditions’, but that is exactly what it is, and our roads are a cause of concern for everyone behind the wheel – especially in an expensive set of wheels.
I picked up the car from a swanky hotel in Juhu and right there on the driveway it was clear that the VW Passat belongs amongst the well-heeled. It has a simple timeless design that looks upmarket and elegant with a hint of sportiness mixed in. It is big and wide and there is no doubting its presence, for it did turn heads and even the valet who drove it up the ramp got out with a big smile. If a car can make you happy from the parking lot to the front lobby, that does say something!
I tossed in my bags in the cavernous boot, got in, adjusted the seat to my ideal driving posture, buckled up, hit the start button, paired my phone to the infotainment system to have easy access to my music and navigation, punched in my destination, shifted in ‘D’ and thus began the first leg of my journey – the Maximum City challenge!
My drive out of Mumbai started on a good note. Since I was setting out before rush hour, I didn’t have to deal with too much traffic. Google took me through some narrow lanes, and a street with two-way traffic that did get me a little nervous as those auto rickshaws buzzed past me, but I managed just fine and made it through. I had a short stretch of a nice wide road near the airport and then came the final test before freedom. This is the stretch from Mumbai University to Mankhurd via Deonar which is under Metro construction and the road is non-existent in parts. Potholes, massive humps (not speed breakers), broken tarmac, and weird bits that seem to be inspired by Roman roads all make this stretch a nightmare for anyone in a sedan. You are constantly worried about bottoming out, however my fears were put to rest when I made it out without hearing that ghastly scraping sound that a car makes when its underbody touches tar. The Passat passed this test with flying colours and is a testimony to the ground clearance that this car has to offer. It is worthy to mention that the Passat, despite its size, is very easy to manoeuvre through city traffic and that wonderful 6-speed DSG allows you to conveniently deal with start/stop traffic without breaking a sweat.
I was soon on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and it was time to enjoy what the 2.0 litre TDI unit under the hood had to offer. I also decided that this was my chance to enjoy the Passat in ‘Sport’ mode and I wasn’t wrong in taking that decision. The Passat sailed along on the expressway and it does offer quite an engaging drive experience. The handling is spot on, the ride quality is brilliant and with 177PS of power and 350 Nm of torque on tap ensure that you have no trouble overtaking. Once again the DSG shines as it keeps you in the peak powerband at all times and seamlessly shifts between gears to keep you powering ahead.
In fact, it made it so easy to deal with the ghat section as well. Speaking about the ghats, the Passat is a dream to drive on such roads. It takes corners very well with minimal roll and you can forget that you are driving such a big car thanks to its nimble handling. I had my favourite tunes being cranked out of the high end sound system which sort of gave me a soundtrack to my drive and it felt like the world was conforming to the beat!
The joyride on the expressway came to an end and it was time for my next challenge – Speed breaker Town. If you haven’t driven around Pune, I forgive you, but for those of you who do drive there on a regular basis, I am sure you will agree with me that Pune seems to have a love for speed breakers. They put them everywhere they can possibly think off. Sometimes, they put them at places that don’t require one, or even at intersections where they often lead to traffic snarls. No matter how much you cuss, it doesn’t do anything to alleviate the sheer amount of frustration that these breakers cause. You just have to learn to live with them.
Keeping all this in mind, I should tell you that I live on the opposite side of town from where the expressway ends. This means that I have a solid run through the city to get home and have to deal with a serious amount of speed breakers that come in all sizes. Some are plastic humps, some are flat tops, some are more like steps and there are others that look like the roadwork guys were trying to create a 3D model of the Himalayas on the road. Each poses its own challenge and making your way over each one is worthy of an award in itself! The end result is a drive that resembles something like this – accelerate, cruise, slow down, angle your vehicle just right, navigate over the bump and then accelerate again. This doesn’t make for a smooth ride and occupants have been known to get car sick in Pune.
Having said that, I was thankful to be seated in the Passat. It just made the entire experience of driving through Pune easier. Maybe it was the comfortable seats, or the light steering. Maybe it was the fact that I didn’t have to deal with constant gear changing and the brakes on the car are confidence inspiring. Maybe it was the sum of all these things that gave me that assurance of peace, but what I do know or a fact was that the Passat once again proved to be more than competent in handling all this.
I got home safe and sound and I did take a minute to look at the Passat parked nicely in my garage. My initial instincts were right. This is a car that delights. It will win you over and if you happen to be in the market for a luxury car, remember that the Passat lives up to those standards and comes at a much more affordable price. It is feature rich, loaded with cool tech and now you can also opt to have VW Connect on board for that enhanced ownership experience. Trust me, this is a choice you can’t go wrong with and it sure does live up to dealing with Indian driving conditions!