Much the same can be said about the car's inviting interior, the ideal execution of affordable luxury. Previous Passats were sensible and straightforward, but they were also about as dark as a black hole. Base models were afflicted with blank-switch syndrome, putting high-grade soft-touch materials at odds with a penny-pinching appearance. Whether loaded to the gills or without any option this is VW's best interior ever - Phaeton included. The dash is still traditional Teutonic with focus on the
 |
| Attention to detail certainly isn't lacking on the inside either; no matter where you look there's something to catch the eye. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
driver, but it's so much more stylish and special, bearing two different types of faux alloy trim as well as chrome. Upscale 3.6 models have real wood or aluminum. But what really makes the difference are the class-leading materials, which feel as good as they look, the optional Vienna leather seats have a buttery-soft texture, similar to that used in Mercedes-Benz models.
Attention to detail certainly isn't lacking either; no matter where you look inside, there will be something to catch the eye. Straight ahead, there's the violet-blue glow of the instruments, switches are backlit in red, and at your feet there's ambient lighting. Instead of including a handbrake lever or a push pedal, the Passat features an electronic pushbutton that glows orange when active. Rather than having door-lock pulls, the Passat's power lock button glows also orange when active. Both the glove box and the armrest console are air conditioned. There's even a built-in umbrella-carrier with draining holes integrated into the driver's door, an idea nicked from Rolls Royce's $400,000 Phantom sedan. Detail, detail, detail! Expensive-car features like adaptive cruise control, parking assist, auxiliary water heater/cooler with remote operation, DVD Navigation and an absolutely brilliant 600-watt Dynaudio sound system, are on the options list for the 3.6.
Not only is the Passat more luxurious, but it's also roomier. Exterior growth, the use of more compact components and its transverse engine
 |
| Moving the key to the upper dash puts it out of reach to your lower extremities, preventing knee damage in an accident. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
layout have made this car a packaging masterpiece. With an increase of 61 mm (2.4 inches) of rear legroom, extra tall drivers don't have to worry about their tall rear passengers rubbing knees on the seatbacks. That said not everyone will be peachy-keen about the Passat's extended rear overhang, but its cargo-carrying capacity has been raised significantly. Without resorting to a space-saving torsion-beam suspension, total volume is up to 565 litres (20.0 cu ft), a 90-litre increase over the current generation car, and one that makes its trunk larger than that in Merc's S-Class. With class-leading space and class-leading interior quality already on the bill, what more could a person ask for? For starters, the Passat features a clever little chrome-trimmed key which gets inserted into a slot in the dash - a la BMW's new 3-Series. Pushing it in until it stops ignites the ignition, and once running, pushing it once more pops the key out and simultaneously kills the engine. A gimmick? It may seem, but it actually serves a purpose: moving the key to the upper dash puts it out of reach to your lower extremities preventing knee damage in an accident. It also prevents over-grinding the engine (starting the car while it is already running). The Passat 3.6, by the way, enhances this system by offering optional door sensors that automatically lock and unlock when the keyholder approaches or leaves
