For the last few years ‘executive saloon’ has become shorthand for anything with four doors and a premium badge, usually from the likes of Audi, BMW and Mercedes. Now, though, VW is confident that despite its more humble origins, the all-new Passat can smoothly manage the upgrade to business class, and muscle its way onto the wishlists of company car buyers, who -at the moment at least - tend to lust after something a bit more aspirational.
From launch there will be four different diesel engines to choose from, with varying degrees of power, ranging from a 1.6 with 118bhp right up to a four-wheel-drive, 235bhp twin-turbo 2.0 with a new seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, and a 0-62mph time of just 6.1 seconds. Aside from the barn-storming range-topper, every manual version of the Passat emits 110g/km or less of carbon dioxide, making it a compelling choice for tax-conscious company car buyers.
The 148bhp version of the 2.0 TDI is predicted to make up the vast bulk of saloon sales, and it manages a very respectable official economy of 67.3mpg, and emits just 106g/km - almost exactly the same figure as the Audi A3 saloon, which is a fair bit smaller.
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