Volkswagen Passat Variant has always been my dream car, and this time I had the opportunity to participate in a test drive event for the Passat Variant. Overall, the new car left me with a very good impression. When it comes to station wagons, in the domestic market, they are usually associated with practicality, niche appeal, and style. Indeed, in the domestic market, station wagons have always been a relatively niche choice. If you prefer spaciousness, there are many SUV models available at the same price. If you focus on comfort and driving experience, there are also plenty of sedans to choose from. Therefore, those who choose station wagons are certainly genuine enthusiasts of the car or this lifestyle. However, in recent years, the Volkswagen Group has greatly contributed to promoting station wagon culture in the domestic market. Whether it's Audi or Skoda, they have introduced quite a few station wagons.
Returning to this Volkswagen Passat Variant, the changes in the new model's exterior are mainly in some details, such as more abundant chrome decorations at the front and brand new headlights. The test drive car had a Phantasie Blue body color, paired with the R-Line sport package, giving it a very sporty feel. However, what I appreciate most is that the sporty details do not affect the overall visual impression of the car. Looking at it as a whole, this car has the standard look of a Volkswagen, with a conservative robustness. As a station wagon, the best view is from a 45-degree angle from the rear side, where you can see the elegant long body and the 18-inch sporty wheels. Notably, the rear of the car gives a very clean feeling in its stock state, without any redundant badges, which is quite refreshing. As a station wagon, the trunk space is very large, consistent with the old model, and it also has anchor points, hooks, a power outlet, and separate storage compartments, which are very practical.
Regarding the interior, the changes compared to the old model are not significant, mainly upgrades in some details and configurations. For example, the central control screen now has a very rich set of functions and supports gesture operations, offering good usage logic and fluency. However, the iconic quartz clock design of Volkswagen is not carried over in this car. It is replaced with a hazard switch and a Passat badge. The air conditioning control area under the central screen has been changed from physical buttons to touch buttons, which I don’t particularly like. With Volkswagen, you want a mechanical, conservative texture, and it is unnecessary to chase any tech feel. Additionally, using it while driving isn't very convenient; like today, when I turned on the air conditioning, I always wondered if it was really on, which was quite annoying. In terms of space, a station wagon certainly won't disappoint. Once the front seat is adjusted to a driving position, there is still more than two fists’ space at the rear for legroom and more than a fist’s space for headroom. Being 180 cm tall, I found the rear seat very spacious and not at all oppressive.
In terms of driving feel, the new Passat Variant gives a refined and steady impression, with its overall tuning leaning towards comfort. The test drive route included highways and city roads. On the highway, overtaking can be done in a fairly calm manner, the power reserve is ample, and it feels very stable when driving. On city roads, at low speeds, the gearbox doesn't have a strong jerkiness and is relatively acceptable. The steering feel of the steering wheel is also quite light, making it easy to handle overall. Regarding the chassis and suspension, when going through some bumpy roads, it can still filter out some bumps fairly well, but without feeling overly soft, allowing for some road feedback.
In summary, the feeling this car gives me is what a standard station wagon should be like – practical space, elegant posture, and comfortable driving experience. The only slight regret is that this car currently doesn't have an all-wheel-drive version. However, it is rumored that a high-power 2.0T engine version with all-wheel-drive may be launched in the future, which is something to look forward to.
