The Germans are the kings of luxury saloons. Known as, “German’s Big Three”, Audi, BMW and Mercedes will be the first to enter your mind. But what about British marques, such as Bentley or Rolls-Royce I hear you say. Well, once the hallmark of British aristocratic motoring, these too are now under German rule, having been acquired by Volkswagen and BMW after the British management worked themselves into a bit of financial Black Pudding. And now, with the global financial crisis far from over and being fueled by America’s myopia, Volkswagen have introduced a very sensible and luxurious new Passat.

Now in its seventh generation, the Volkswagen Passat has always been a solid and dependable sedan, with no shortage of performance either – there was even a 220 kW range-topping R36 version available in select markets. With the latest iteration, however, Volkswagen have added dash of style, a sprinkle of performance and a dollop of technology to serve up a luxury saloon that is worthy of a double-take, even from fans of more popular German stables.

With sharper lines than its predecessor, the Passat’s redesign echoes its aspirations to hit the sharp-end of the D-segment sales charts. Sporting the familiar Volkswagen grille, optional bi-xenon headlights with daytime running lights and a front air-intake with chrome plated fins, the Passat draws more attention than one might expect. The Passat’s profile does nothing to hide its 4 769 mm length, but a strong character line, chrome side strip and 17-inch wheels, manage to keep things in proportion, while the tail-end features a set of wrap-around lights, underlined by more chrome.

Although available with plenty of optional extras – which can add R50 000 to the price of this, the entry-level Passat, without any effort – VW’s premium sedan is well equipped as standard. Inside you’ll find creature comforts and conveniences such as a multi-function leather steering wheel with aluminium inserts; a leather gearshift knob; iridium-look dashboard inserts; cruise control; 2-zone climatronic air conditioning system; 8-speaker radio/cd-player with MP3/WMA compatibility and auxilliary input. Other features that one may expect to find on the options list, but which are standard on the new Passat, are heated side mirrors, auto-dimming interior mirror, rain-sensing wipers and air-conditioned front seats with ‘Active Climate control’.

In typical Volkswagen fashion, the cabin’s ergonomics are well thought out, the fit and finish is class leading and, in a nod to luxury and traditional craftsmanship, there’s even an analog clock in the centre of the dashboard. All passengers have ample head, leg and shoulder room, while the boot is a cavernous 565-litres and has remote release levers for the 60:40 split folding rear seats.

The Passat is also one of the most refined sedans in its class, most notably in the low NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) levels. Volkswagen has added a thin plastic film to the windscreen, sandwiched between two layers of the glass, to help reduce noise transmission. Engine noise has also been reduced through the use of new sound deadening material mounted on the front bulkhead, wheelarches and in the dashboard. A newly designed engine mounting system ensures the engine is better isolated from the body and also contributes to the lack of wind and road noise.

Refinement is evident in the driving experience too, with a compliant suspension that soaks up all but the worst of bumps, while still remaining taught enough through most corners to offer a reassuring sense of grip on the road. Perhaps VW’s engineers could have added a bit more rebound damping to the four-link suspension at the rear, as the car does have a slight pogo stick effect, but otherwise the Passat remains true to steering inputs and offers good mid-corner composure for its size.

The 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol engine has been carried over from the previous generation Passat. With 250 N.m of torque from 1 500 r/min and maximum power of 118 kW at 5 000 r/min, the engine propels the Passat with vigor, although the tacho needs to be above the 3 000 r/min mark to achieve the swiftest progress. Although the engine remains unchanged for the new Passat, Volkswagen engineers have managed to reduce fuel consumption from 7.6 L/100km to 6.9 L/100km with corresponding CO2 emissions of 160 g/km. The slick-shifting 6-speed manual gearbox adds a welcome element of involvement to the Passat, which could be considered a little too ‘soft-pedaled’ by some, when equipped with the optional 7-speed DSG.

The Passat is fitted with all the safety equipment on might well expect in a car of this class. BAS (Brake Assist System) and EDL (Electronic Differential Lock) help to maintain traction and stability under testing or emergency conditions. ‘Rest Assist’ is an automatic fatigue detection system that monitors the driver’s inputs and emits an audible and visual warning when fatigue is detected. The system monitors driver behaviour for the first 15 minutes of every journey to establish a benchmark driving style in terms of acceleration, braking and steering action. If the driver begins to deviate from the calculated benchmark, the car will alert the driver with audible and visual warnings. Together with whiplash optimised head restraints, driver and passenger front airbags, frontside airbags, as well as front and rear curtain airbags, it comes as no surprise to know that the new Passat has earned a 5-star Euro NCAP rating.

To reiterate our first impressions of the Passat: With a well equipped interior, comprehensive list of standard equipment, adequate and smooth power delivery with composed handling, all wrapped up in fresh contemporary styling, the 2011 VW Passat stands out as a sensible choice in the upper D-segment.

What we like…

• Class-leading feel.
• Solid build quality.
• Good fuel economy combined with enough punch when needed.
• Generous interior and cargo space.

What we would like…

• A light on the driver’s instrument cluster to indicate when the handbrake’s auto-hold function is active.
• A faster response time from optional touchscreen Sat-Nav system.