2004 Volkswagen Passat GLS Road Test

Practical, Sporty and Frugal

Every now and then an auto manufacturer hits upon a design that is timeless and almost universally appealing. In the 1998 model year, Volkswagen did just that with the

In 1998 Volkswagen hit upon a timeless and universally appealing design with the release of the current Passat. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press)

introduction of the current generation Passat. Since its launch, sales of the midsize VW have consistently increased.

Such sustainability, however, requires more than just good looks. Unlike the loveable VW's of yesteryear the Passat is a thoroughly modern sedan that ascribes to a traditional layout by placing the engine at the front of the vehicle. And in case someone has been in a state of suspended animation since the flower-power era, the Passat is water-cooled and capable of copious interior heat.

The exterior lines that have served the Passat so well are conservative, clean and constrained. There is nothing dramatic or edgy about the nicely proportioned European body, which features large slabs of scenery enhancing glass all around. While many

The Passat's conservative, clean and constrained shape is unique to Volkswagen. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press)

manufacturers of midsize sedans have incorporated fuel-efficient wedge shapes into their exterior presentations, VW stylists admirably resisted. In doing so they penned a Passat shape that is unique to Volkswagen, although genetically linked to Audi. Also like the Audi, VW's Passat is fabricated with precise and accurately fitted panels, creating an exterior surface that is flawless.

Opening and closing any of the Passat's four doors or trunk lid imparts a sense of solidity. As a Passat loving colleague of mine so passionately pointed out, slamming the trunk on a Passat does not net the tinny, hollow sound that it does on some domestically manufactured vehicles. Although to my knowledge no scientific data exists to verify this anecdotal assertion, he may have a point. What is certain to both of us though, is the car's tight-as-a-drum build quality.