Latest VW Passat raises the bar again

Volkswagen’s new flagship saloon looks set to take on a whole new set of rivals, writes Dave Humphreys.

The new VW Passat delivers a refined driving experience.

For the last 20 or so years the Passat, not the Golf, has been Volkswagen’s most successful model around the world, selling over 1.1 million units last year alone. That success looks to show no sign of letting up with the arrival of this all-new, eighth generation model.

Aesthetically, the new Passat might not break new ground in the design sense, but it’s still attractive. There’s more than a hint of the sleek ...