When Volkswagen decided to launch the significantly updated 2020 Passat near some of Southern California’s legendary driving roads, it raised a few eyebrows (both of mine). The Passat is no longer our first choice for a midsize sedan we’d hoon up a world-class road like Angeles Crest, but could this midcycle refresh change that?
The U.S.-spec 2020 Passat still rides on an old platform—unlike the Passats for the Chinese and European markets, which are now built on VW’s much newer MQB architecture that underpins the Golf (a MotorTrend favorite). So even though the Passat is refreshed for 2020, the body-in-white is essentially the same as the car that took home our Car of the Year honors in 2012. VW says this is to keep costs down because sedan sales are on the decline in the U.S., but as a result the Passat is hindered from start to finish.
For 2020, the bodywork is now a bit swoopier, with a reworked front-end design, new LED headlights, a fresh grille that ties it to the current Jetta, and a sculpted rear that makes the Passat a more handsome machine than before. The 2.0-liter turbo-four makes the same 174 hp but is up to 206 lb-ft of torque, and the six-speed automatic gets a new torque converter. Inside, the changes are even more subtle. But they shouldn’t have been. The gauge cluster in the U.S.-spec Passat hosts a teeny color display between an analog tach and speedometer—had VW made the move to the MQB platform, the Passat could have come with Volkswagen’s state-of-the-art fully digital instrument cluster, like in the Tiguan, but the sedan’s older platform won’t allow for it. The climate controls remain unchanged, as does the center console. Volkswagen did make blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and automatic LED headlights features standard across all trim levels, however.
The 2020 Passat’s dashboard has been adapted to include some Arteon-esque air vents, and the infotainment display is new. At just 6.3 inches, the touchscreen is small for the segment—European Passats can be upgraded to an 8.0-inch display, something that isn’t possible in the North American car thanks to its dated platform. Desirable optional gear includes a Fender audio system, adaptive cruise control (standard on three of four trims), heated front and rear seats, and dual-zone climate control (also standard on three of four trims).
Unfortunately, a slightly modernized interior and extra niceties can’t hide the car’s obvious age inside. The dashboard and center console, though clean and easy to use, look positively spartan when compared to others in the segment. But how does the old sedan stack up on the road?
Realizing that the Passat might need some extra sportiness for our drive ahead, I jumped into a 2020 Passat R-Line. The R-Line adds slightly different front and rear bumpers, steering wheel–mounted paddle shifters, and stickier Falken rubber wrapped around R-Line-exclusive 19-inch wheels.
The new tires represent one of the biggest dynamic differences between this newish 2020 Passat and the old one. Whereas the last R-Line came with bigger wheels but tires that were no more grippy, the Falkens were much more up to the task of hustling the sedan up a twisty mountain road. Thanks to the paddles on the wheel, it was easy to stay in the desired gear, but the transmission regularly ignored me when I asked for a downshift. The steering is light yet accurate, but the brakes have almost no feel, and a dead spot at the top of the pedal’s travel makes coming to a well-judged stop extremely difficult.
Once we dropped out of the twisty roads above Los Angeles and onto its aging freeways, the old Passat came good. The 405 freeway’s pavement is notoriously noisy and craggy, but the Passat—even on its 19-inch alloys—soaked up the lumps and bumps with ease. It was quiet at speed, allowing so little wind and tire noise into the cabin that even whisper-volume conversations were audible. No squeaks or errant rattles made their way into the cabin as we thumped it over bumps and expansion joints. The Passat was easily as comfortable as its big brother, the Arteon, but with better body control over large undulations. The long and straight journey down the 405 suit the Passat. Fitting, as the U.S.-spec Passat has been built specifically for the American market since 2012, and long, straight journeys abound in the lower 48. I just can’t help but wonder how much better the Passat could have been when the going gets twisty if it were built on MQB. In the midsize sedan class, you can have your cake and eat it, too: the Accord, a two-time comparison winner, expertly handles the practical matters that matter to families while also being better to drive.
That said, the refreshed Passat is still spacious, quiet, and comfortable. It’s not going to set your hair on fire or inspire you to push for that next apex. What it should do is offer the same kinds of features as the Altima and Optima, but the omission of a heated steering wheel, ventilated front seats, a decently sized infotainment screen, and a surround-view camera system makes it less appealing. The 2020 Passat starts at $23,915, undercutting most of its competitors in base price—and it also boasts a four-year/50,000-mile basic warranty with two years/20,000 miles of free maintenance. Even so, the Passat doesn’t have enough optional cabin tech to satisfy those who appreciate such niceties, and it still isn’t as nimble as the class-leading Accord. A more feature-laden Passat with modern underpinnings does exist, just not in the U.S., and that’s what frustrates us about the U.S.-spec 2020 Passat. If you must have a roomy, comfortable, well-priced German sedan in your driveway and don’t mind skipping out on features many competitors offer, the Passat could have a home on your short list. Otherwise, consider a lower-trim Arteon, another midsize sedan, or wait a few years for the hoped-for full redesign of the Passat.
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Source: WORLD NEWS
