“The balance between design and technology is part of our core DNA,” says Bischoff. As such, the interior also raises the bar, introducing technology aimed at minimizing driver distraction and increasing convenience and connectivity.
“With the interior we had an approach that wanted to go forward with the active info display, to make the first big step into a digital interior design,” says Bischoff. “We decided we would go touchscreen, but with a more sensual touchscreen application. We have a more intuitive software design [which is going] to take us to the next level.”
The optional interactive display interface (the same display found in the new TT) features a configurable 12.3-inch TFT screen, and the Passat is also available with a heads-up display and a ‘modular infotainment system’, which includes the Car-Net remote app.
“With the next products to come we will do the next layer of functionality and connectivity, of digital design and the implementation of applications that you have on your smartphone into the car,” says Bischoff. “We’re going digital, fast forward. And this is the first step into that territory. But also there too, we say we don’t want to have animation just for the sake of it. We are always following a function approach and a logic approach. It has to be something that is a big benefit to the customer. It has to be easy to operate. This is all part of the strategy to move the brand forward.”
Designers also went to great length to make the cabin more comfortable as well. There is more headroom, more legroom and the shoulder measurements are wider, says Bischoff. And while the car has a 14mm lower roofline, interior headroom has been increased by 26mm.
This increase in interior space was partly enabled by the new Passat’s MQB underpinnings. It is the first model to use the ‘B’ class version of the modular toolkit that underpins the current Golf, and though the distance between pedal-to-axle and the 11-degree rake of the firewall is identical on both models, it is also quite a bit different.
“The engine layout is lower. The H-point is lower, the floor of the car is different. There are a lot of technical aspects that are deep in the package layout,” says Bischoff.
It also differs considerably to the current Passat range: “We moved the driver in a different position to the steering wheel and to the pedals so it’s completely different to what we have on the road today. It’s a lot sportier than the current Passat when you sit in it.”
The materials used – especially in high-end models – have a luxurious feel, from the leather stitching on the thin-ribbed seats to the quality of the plastics, the new model is a noticeable a step up in quality over its forebearer. The full-width vents follow a slightly curved plane, dropping away from the IP at the edges and adding to the sense of width within the cabin.
Having sold 22 million examples since the model first made its debut in 1973, the Passat is one of the most successful and longest running model lines in the range. Volkswagen has wisely chosen not to stray too far away from the core attributes that make it such an attractive proposition, and with it’s decidedly more premium attributes it’s a step in the right direction for the brand.
