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Text &
Images: Ashish Jha |
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| Volkswagen |
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Ego is a massive issue with mankind. It’s a globally understood fact that men are filled with a failed sense of self praise. And driving is one such activity in which it often rears its ugly head. For example, we’d happily keep burning petrol, trying to find the right road back after getting lost, but we certainly won’t stop and ask a passerby for directions – it’s against our prestige we believe. Similarly, we don’t like anyone telling us how to drive. We tend to think we know it all, and we’re the best at it.
On the other hand, what men cannot do is multitask – especially when driving. Women can however, and this was made abundantly clear to me the other day when I saw a woman who had talents that I could never even hope to possess. But really, I can write few pages – okay, a book actually – about instances involving women behind the steering wheel that have surprised and irked me at the same time. I’m not kidding you, I saw a woman do her hair, paint her lips, and then decorate her eyelashes – all in a span of few kilometres, doing 60km/h easy. Some talent! Granted, doing this, she almost took out three cars and a few bikers – and, in the process, managed to attract some very loud verbal abuse as well. But, what the heck, she finally managed to look her cartoonish best with bright red lips and gothic black eyes. Good for her!
And even more recently, I was driving to work and witnessed a woman at the wheel talking happily on her fancy mobile phone. And when we approached a toll booth, it suddenly dawned upon her that one has to pay the fare to go further. So she started digging into her handbag – which looked no less than a weekend getaway bag – and threw out everything that one could imagine. A diary, her beauty set, a comb, lipstick, some tissues, keys, iPod, and her scarf – it was all over the place. And then she finally realised that her purse containing money was actually kept in the laptop bag at the rear. So she then reached out for that bag and, after 3 minutes and 17 seconds, finally took out 20 bucks and paid the disgusted guy manning the booth. For a tool booth – anything over 30 seconds is a sin – 3 minutes could condemn you to an eternity in the depths of hell. |
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Another issue – the last one I promise – with women driving is parking. There are numerous videos on YouTube that will convince you about their inability to park a car. One video of particular interest to me is one where a woman is trying to parallel-park, and after trying for full 4 minutes, is finally helped by a man who gets the job done in merely 10 seconds. Parking has been the eternal bane for womankind. And that brings me to the new Volkswagen Passat. It’s the perfect car for women. Why? Because it parks on its own – well, almost.
This party trick is called Park Assist, which notifies the driver that a parking space is available, and once the car is positioned aptly, the system actually controls the steering to guide the car into the space identified. The driver only has to modulate the braking and acceleration. Yes, I know it’s still not the best solution for the fairer gender, but it is a start, and we must thank VW for it.
After trying the Park Assist a few dozen times, we finally got down to driving the car. And while I was driving it, I couldn’t help but draw a parallel with the older generation Passat, which I drove recently with almost 90,000 kilometres on the clock – and there wasn’t a single rattle to speak of. So, that’s the kind of quality you expect in a Passat. And while the new model is as spacious and well equipped as a palatial bungalow, the plastics tend to feel a little more, er, plasticky. To ensure that you still get a lot of car for your money, though, the Passat is equipped to the gills with tech – starting, of course, with Park Assist, an electronic parking brake with an auto-hold function, auto start-stop, brake energy recuperation, and plenty more features that you would ordinarily expect only in cars that cost at least three times as much. The seats, also, are as brilliant as ever – very well bolstered to provide support in all the right places. But, while the Passat amazes you in some instances, it also seems to have accepted mediocrity in others. It seems to be peppered with things that you’ve seen before in the Skoda Superb – such as the touch-screen interface that seems to be shared with Skoda. |
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I loved the earlier Passat – it was unpretentious and elegant. The subtle styling, with its front and rear lamps that cut into the moulded bodywork were a nice touch, and set the car apart from its flashier rivals. The boot deck, with its discreet lip spoiler, demonstrated that it could be sporty even though it looked restrained. And it was – actually it was more composed and confident than sporty, but you get my drift. The latest Passat has grown up – and it shows.
It’s similar to the human growth pattern actually. When you’re younger, you’re cuter and livelier. But the growing number of candles on your birthday cake translate to a more restrained appearance – some would say you even start looking less magnetic to the world at large.
The Passat has the same problem – it’s grown up. So much so that it’s started looking a little plain. VW’s new design language emphasizes clean lines, and it’s worked beautifully on some new models, but the Passat just seems to be lacking any design flair at all. The rear end is clean and well proportioned, it even looks a little Phaeton-like, but it’s not distinctive like the previous model. The front is much the same, although it’s livened up by a headlight casing that has some edgy styling inside, and, of course, the now customary LEDs.
There is, however, an expansive equipment list. There’s regular tech like keyless entry, a sunroof, climate control, ABS and ESP. But there are some interesting features that are worth spending your grey cells on as well. The Attention Assist mechanism – though it works only if the car is driven over 65km/h for at least a few minutes – starts beeping if it senses a lapse in the driver’s concentration. Just to put this in perspective, Mercedes removed this feature in the latest E Class when it came to India. Then there’s regenerative braking, which is a part of the BlueMotion technology that VW’s been painting the town red with in its latest marketing campaign. Regen-braking basically charges the battery by making use of the kinetic energy and heat generated while braking and converting it to electrical energy. Lastly, there’s a Start-Stop system that shuts the engine off when you come to a halt, and fires it again the moment you press the accelerator. Good stuff (but not soul stirring). |
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As before, under the hood, the engine is an absolute gem – it has loads of mid-range poke and the bloody thing shifts with the eagerness of a sports sedan! The DSG, again, works very well. And the shifts through the cogs are immediate using the paddles – in fact, it’s a joy to go down the gears. The steering is direct, but lacks feedback. It does its job well alright, but there’s no real communication between the driver and the tires at the four corners of the car. The ride is soft, so it’s comfortable, but it does come at the cost of handling. A lot of people criticized the older Passat for being stiff, so VW’s gone to the other end of the spectrum to cater to a wider audience with the new model – which means that it is comfortable, but when you get into your other skin to hunt down the boy racer who just cut you off, you’ll be doing so in a slightly ungainly manner. You’ll surely be going fast – 170 horses will do that – but the Passat won’t exactly immerse you in the experience.
So this all-new Passat is a mixed bag really. It’s very spacious and comfortable when driven by a grand mom, but becomes large and ungainly when her grandson takes the wheel. But, if it’s the equipment list you’re after, you’ve come to the right place. The Passat has gone from being an interesting alternative for those in the know, to a mainstream luxury liner packed to the gills with wonder-inducing tech. But, if I had one, I’d be driving backwards all the time – why? The Park Assist is so much fun that I could keep doing it all day long. |
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Volkswagen Passat |
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Engine: 1,968cc / 4 Cylinder / DOHC / 16 valves / Common Rail Direct Injection
Fuel: Diesel
Transmission: 6-Speed Automatic (DSG) / Front Wheel Drive
Power: 168bhp @ 4200rpm
Torque: 350Nm @ 1800-2500rpm
Price: Rs. 25.65 Lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi)
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XFactor
An extremely comfortable and spacious sedan made extraordinary by the tech and gizmos, but not soul stirring. Excellent value all the same.
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