Volkswagen Passat - Engines, performance & drive

The engines powering the Volkswagen Passat are all ones we’ve seen before, up and down the VW range. So far, we’ve driven the single 1.5-litre petrol option that’s available from launch, with 201bhp and 268bhp plug-in hybrid versions (the latter is only offered with Elegance and R-Line trims) coming later. Due to the Passat being very similar to the Skoda Superb, we anticipate that two further versions of the 2.0-litre petrol and 2.0-litre diesel will also be added to the range, with the most powerful petrol and diesel options getting 4Motion four-wheel drive.

The entry-level 1.5-litre unit is generally refined and smooth, and produces 148bhp and 250Nm of torque. These aren’t huge figures, but when the car is unladen, its engine is perfectly adept at shifting the large body of the Passat. When loaded with a family and a boot full of paraphernalia, getting up to motorway speeds or overtaking might be more problematic.

When up and running, the mild-hybrid system – in combination with the standard seven-speed twin-clutch automatic transmission – helps make the most of the engine. The response is good, especially in the sportier drive modes, and the motor remains quiet and unstressed. The electrified mild-hybrid drivetrain provides a little bit of a power boost at low speeds, and makes this engine feel more powerful than it actually is, but you may be left wanting at higher speeds where the small mild-hybrid system is less effective.

On the road, the standard suspension set-up that’s fitted to Life and Elegance trims does a good job of keeping things calm, prioritising comfort above all and providing plenty of suspension travel. Top-of-the-range R-Line models have a more sophisticated adaptive suspension set-up called Dynamic Chassis Control Pro (DCC Pro for short). With it, you can customise the ride from a firmer, sportier setting on twistier roads, to a softer comfort set-up when cruising along the motorway, giving the Passat a wide range of abilities. General refinement is excellent, with good road noise suppression and very little wind whistle – especially with Elegance trim cars and above, which get laminated side windows and extra sound insulation to increase refinement.

The steering remains well-weighted and accurate, and while there’s not much feel, it makes the Passat easy to place on the road. Indeed, it’s very easy to judge the car’s extremities on the move, largely thanks to the excellent visibility.

Engines, 0-60 acceleration and top speed

The 148bhp 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine manages to get the Passat from 0 to 62mph in a respectable 9.1 seconds before romping to a top speed of 138mph.

Performance figures for the 204 and 272 eHybrid versions have yet to be fully finalised, but we do know that the top speed is 1mph lower than the entry-level 1.5 eTSI. There’s also no word on any additional petrol or diesel engines, but we’ll update this section once we have more information.