Passat Euro Car of the Year 02 | 03 | 2015
THE NEW VOLKSWAGEN Passat has been named European Car of the Year. Today's announcement came on the eve of the Geneva Motor Show.
“We are extremely proud of this accolade,” Prof. Martin Winterkorn, CEO of Volkswagen, said at the prize-giving ceremony. “In the new Passat, we have again succeeded in developing a car that sets the standards for its class in terms of technology and quality.
"This honour is a tremendous confirmation for the work of our engineers, designers and the entire team. The new Passat shows that the Volkswagen brand has the right answers to the challenges of our time.”
The award was collected by Heinz-Jakob Neusser, Member of the Board of Management Volkswagen Brand for the Development Division.
“We are delighted by the honour of Car of the Year 2015," he said. "This accolade has a very special significance for us because it is awarded by independent international trade journalists. In addition, the honour is known to have a high standing for our customers.”
One of the oldest and most well-known awards in Europe, Car of the Year has been honouring the best new releases in the car industry every year since 1964.
Related: Roadtest — VW Touareg V6 TDI
The jury, consisting of 58 European motoring journalists from 22 countries, had nominated seven candidates ahead of the final. In the preceding months, these candidates had undergone detailed testing, comparisons and evaluations based on criteria such as economy, comfort, safety, driving characteristics, functionality, design and technical progress.
Two current Volkswagen models have already received the coveted award in the past, the Polo in 2010 and the Golf in 2013.
The new Passat, in all its versions, is one of the most successful mid-class cars in the world, and with 1.1 million units sold last year, one of the highest-volume series of the Volkswagen Group worldwide.
Now in its eighth generation, the best-seller is regarded as one of the most innovative cars in its class. The latest Passat benefits dynamically by having a lower body, longer wheelbase and larger wheels. Despite the unaltered length in the interior dimensions, the new Passat has still expanded considerably.
At the same time the latest technologies have been added: they include systems such as Active Info Display (a completely digital instrument cluster), extendable head-up display, and also systems such as an app-based Rear Seat Entertainment for tablets, Front Assist with City Emergency Braking and Pedestrian Monitoring as well as three further global firsts: Emergency Assist (vehicle stops in emergency), Trailer Assist (assisted manoeuvring with a trailer) and Traffic Jam Assist. The new Passat is available with ten direct injection turbocharged petrol and diesel engines which cover a power range from 88 kW / 120 PS to 206 kW / 280 PS.
The Passat GTE – the first Passat to feature a plug-in hybrid drive, which will emit less than 45g/km CO2, and return less than 2l/100 km — will arrive at dealerships beginning in late summer of this year.
The 1.4TSI engine develops a power of 115 kW / 156 PS; the electric motor produces 85 kW / 115PS, while the maximum torque of the plug-in hybrid drive system is 400 Newton metres.
Related: Roadtest — VW Golf GTE plug-in
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Jim McGill