Like the Superb and many other VW Group cars, the ‘B9’ Passat uses the latest version of the familiar MQB Evo platform, which brings two major advancements in particular.
One is the improved in-car tech, which we will get to in due course, while on the mechanical side it’s that for the plug-in hybrid a large, 25.7kWh hybrid drive battery can be accommodated with minimal impact on luggage space. That is thanks partly to improvements in battery chemistry giving better energy density and partly to the battery’s placement under the rear seat, with the 45-litre fuel tank under the boot floor.
In Germany, the Passat is available with the same wide range of petrol and diesel powertrains as the Skoda Superb, and both front- and four-wheel drive, but VW UK is keeping its offering limited.
At launch, all Passats over here were powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder. In the entry-level eTSI mild hybrid, it gets only a little bit of assistance from an integrated starter-generator to produce 148bhp.
Then there are two plug-in hybrids, where the same engine is joined by a 114bhp electric motor integrated into the six-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The entry-level version, as tested here, has a system output of 201bhp and 258lb ft, while the range-topper bumps that up to 268bhp and 295lb ft thanks to an extra 27bhp from the petrol engine. As a result, it is a second faster to 62mph, according to the spec sheet.
The big battery should also take less time to replenish than before. With the right charging hardware, it can take 11kW (up from 3.6kW) on AC power, and it can DC rapid-charge at up to 40kW.
Volkswagen has since added a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol-four to the Passat’s UK range, with this unit sending 201bhp and 236lb ft to the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. This allows the estate to complete the 0-62mph dash in 7.5sec.
The same 2.0-litre unit is found in the Superb – but in that car, it is also available with 261bhp and four-wheel drive, unlike in the Passat.
The Passat has grown quite considerably since the eighth generation, to match its Czech cousin. It’s 144mm longer than before, with some of that coming from the 50mm-longer wheelbase, and the rest from the longer overhangs.