Another nifty VW touch in the Passat was the electrically actuated folding sideview mirrors. With the twist of a door mounted dial the two exterior sideview mirror housings rotate inward, reducing the distance they protruded from the side of the vehicle - an excellent method of curtailing clipped mirrors and damaged doors while parking.
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| The Passat W8 stands out as my favorite midsize vehicle. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press) |
Of course parking either precedes or follows driving, and driving is what this review is really about. Of the many practical midsize vehicles that I have driven, the Passat W8 stands out as a favorite. The W8 engine is a technological marvel that provides all the benefits of a sophisticated V8, except the bulky size and weight.
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| Four-valves per cylinder contribute to the W8's tremendous torque at low rpm. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press) |
The engine achieves its compactness by overlapping the four cylinders on each side of the engine. This shortens the length of each bank of cylinders and in-turn the block overall, enabling placement in engine bays too petite to oblige a traditional V8. The W8 configuration provides greater engine block rigidity as well, which results in reduced engine harshness and vibration. Two counter-rotating balance shafts further negate vibration, ensuring that the W8 projects nothing less than turbine-like smoothness from its aluminum heads and block.
The utilization of 4-valves per cylinder contributes to the W8's tremendous torque at low rpm. Peak torque of 273 foot-pounds occurs at a low-revving 2750 rpm. What all this techno-babble translates into is an engine that can launch the Passat wagon like a bullet from a pistol, especially when the torque is fed to all four wheels through a 6-speed manual transmission.