Car Reviews > Volkswagen > Passat BlueMotion > Volkswagen Passat BlueMotion Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Prices: £20,865
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel
Gearbox: 6-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power/torque: 104 bhp/ 250 Nm
0-62 mph: 12.2 seconds
Top Speed: 118 miles per hour
Economy: 68.8 miles per gallon
Emissions: 109g per kilometre
Equipment: alloy wheels, cruise control, GPS, climate control
On Sale: Now

The Eco special Passat is the pick of the range, promising a fuel economy rating of almost 70 miles per gallon

The last Volkswagen Passat BlueMotion has the honour of being the world record holder for the longest difference ever to be travelled on just single tank of fuel – 1527 miles in total – but with a new, even more efficient version having now arrived on the scene, the question is how will it shape up in comparison to its illustrious predecessor?

The new model comes with features such as a blocked off front grille, aerodynamic body kit, lowered ride height, and a boot lid spoiler. The 17-inch alloy wheels and blue paint are also unique to the BlueMotion range. All of these alterations ultimately work very well indeed and make the vehicle considerably more stylish than the normal Passat.

Volkswagen is claiming that the new model has a fuel economy rating of as much as 68.9 miles per gallon, which improves on the old model by almost five miles per gallon, with CO2 emissions also having been knocked down to 109g per kilometre, an improvement that means road tax is now free for a year and will then only cost £20 per annum after that.

Those impressive running costs are the result of the BlueMotion’s improved aerodynamics as well as the low-rolling resistance tyres, brake energy recuperation, and stop-start system. These systems work unnoticeably, with the stop-start system sometimes failing to operate when the air conditioning is at full capacity.

The performance is not exactly blistering, with the 1.6-litre TDI engine, which is capable of a bhp rating of 104, getting the car from 0-62 miles per hour in a not exactly record-breaking 12.2 seconds. The good news, however, is that the engine is as quiet as a whisper for the great majority of the time, with only heavy acceleration making the noise it generates into something unpleasant.

A large part of the appeal of the Passat is down to its fabulous long distance cruising ability, and this new model proves to be no different in this regard. Volkswagen has performed a splendid job of making sure the driver is isolated from rough roads, while larger bumps are ironed out with the minimum of fuss. However, that level of isolation is ironically also what detracts from the package somewhat. There just seems to be very little involvement and the steering also does not have much feel to it. Drivers looking for a fun drive would probably be much better off going for the Ford Mondeo ECOnetic.

On the plus side, the cabin is a pleasant environment in which to spend some time. The dashboard is trimmed in a soft-touch material, while a touch of class is added by the brushed aluminium inserts. The heater controls unfortunately feel a little bit on the flimsy side, not at all like the switches that can be found on other Passat models that include optional automatic climate control.

Eco specials always tend to carry a large premium over the standard car, but the BlueMotion is priced at £20,285, which is actually just £260 more than the ordinary Passat S, which comes with the exact same engine.

This is easily the pick of the range.

by Autoweb