I REALISE THAT pilfering creativity from a test car’s television commercial is a bit lame and unimaginative. But come on, who hasn’t chuckled at the kid who dons a Darth Vader helmet before exploring his parent’s house in a series of futile attempts at summoning The Force to manipulate objects around him? It all culminates in a US spec VW Passat (somewhat larger, somewhat frumpier than our Euro model) rolling into the driveway, and a well-timed click on the key fob by little Vader’s dad rewards the tyke with some much-needed Jedi action. Great gimmick, but what about the car?

IMAGE GALLERY VW PASSAT HERE

Exterior
Volkswagen hasn’t started from a completely blank slate here. The roof metal and glazing are carryover items from the old car but that’s where similarities end. Upfront, VW’s bold new corporate identity is present with an imposing four-slat grille and sharply styled headlamp clusters. The full body-width airdam beneath it incorporates fog and running lamps and enhances that hewn-from-granite stance. Premium silver accents similar to those that form the grille have been tacked along its chin, around its greenhouse and underline the rear bumper and boot lid. The rear end is very neat, lacking any fussy detail lines or style creases – I like it. The sum of its aesthetic may be bland, but it’s also handsome, conservative and less likely to date than its predecessors. Those restrained looks are a precursor to the rest of the new Passat experience.

Interior
The original Passat was of course a fastback four-door variant of the original Audi 80. In fact, local pundits might even remember (or perhaps owned) Audi-badged Passats in the early 1980s. The 2011 model certainly shares Audi levels of build quality, if with a slightly downgraded selection of materials. A sumptuous swathe of soft-to-the-touch plastics forms the dashboard, with a silver accent housing a simple analogue clock dissecting the air vents sited atop the hang-down area. DSG transmission setting switches and the ‘push to start’ button surround the gear lever as they do in the rest of the VW and Audi products. Sublime ergonomics and slick execution provide the requisite executive ambience. This is pure business class, placing the Passat almost on par with stalwarts from Benz and BMW, so it’s a pity that we noted some wayward rattles fore and aft of the driver. Clever seating (heated and cooled upfront) is relatively flat but perfectly comfortable, and space feels generous. In our test model we missed out on an iPod/USB slot as VW insists on keeping this as an expensive option.