We tested the VW Passat R36 Wagon. It has a 3.6L V6 producing 220Kw @ 6600rpm and 350 Nm between 2400-5300rpm. It comes standard with the 6 sp DSG transmission and 4Motion AWD. The RRP of the R36 is $67,990 and options fitted included electric sunroof, sattelite navigation RNS510 (with reversing camera), Dynaudio 600W Stereo and automatic tailgate. These brought the price to approximately $73,500 +ORC. |
Stylish sophisticated family transport with keen sports edge. European sports wagon for the family. |
In a word "WOW". To get the same balance of performance, style and practicality with European class you would have to spend almost twice as much to get anything that comes close. Those may be twice the price but nowhere twice the car! This is the fastest Volkswagen you can buy in Australia and without doubt it is the best balanced of all the 'R' series vehicles. It is absolutely packed full of all the good stuff that you want and need, sits 4 or 5 in comfort, will swallow heaps of luggage and lets you travel for hundreds of kilometres at a time without any hint of tiredness. In short this is the type of vehicle that makes driving a pleasure. Its sporty intentions are obvious with a set of 235/40 R18 alloy wheels and tyres, massive Blue Brembo brakes, sports tuned suspension, a torquey V6 that produces an aurally pleasing muted growl, 0-100kmh in 5.8 seconds and one of the most comfortable driving seats I have ever sat in. Yet for all that it drives with a sense of calmness. This was evident when we had it alongside the Lancer EVO X MR which has similar performance but a brutal presence. Like all vehicles it does have its faults, but these are few and mostly picky. In terms of a performance family wagon that combines with practicality, economy and style the Passat R36 leaves its European rivals for dead. It has sense of confidence that says "I know I am good, I just dont need to tell everyone about it" and quite frankly that is precisely the type of buyers it will attract. Count me in please! |
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First impressions are that the wagon is a much better looking vehicle than the sedan. With more room and flowing lines it is the pick of the lineup. The 'R' series blue look grows on you and looks better in the R36 than the R32. The deep integrated front spoiler with typical VW grill and side scoops along with the ultra low profile 18inch alloys, lowered sports suspension (by 25mm), dual chrome exhaust and the subtle rear roof spoiler gives the wagon a purposeful stance. Once inside its intentions are obvious with deeply sculptured heated front seats covered in San Remo micro fibre/Vienna leather combination upholstery. Both electrically adjustable with electro-pneumatic side bolsters, so big fat bastards like me can fit comfortably. Heaps of rear travel also helps. The drivers seat is 12 way adjustable (including lumbar) with 3 memory positions and combined with a height and reach adjustable steering wheel it is impossible not to find the perfect driving position. Volkswagen Individual also designed the interior equipment especially for the Passat R36. The instruments and middle console are finished in a dark brushed aluminium decor. The leather steering wheel is especially slip-proof and features an R36 logo in the lower spokes and gear shift paddles (which i never used) as standard along with all the normal multi function controls you would expect. In addition, the Passat R36 has R36 door sill trims, new dashboard with white illumination and an automatic transmission selector lever in aluminium look as standard.
A six disc CD changer with MP3 compatibility and 250W amplifier, delivers crystal clear sound through 10 speakers. Aluminium accelerator and brake pedals with 'R' flags are also standard in the R36. Meanwhile, rain sensing windscreen wipers, automatic dimming rear-view mirror and parking distance sensors, front and rear, respond automatically to environmental changes outside. Bi Xenon self levelling cornering headlights are also standard.
Even with so many features available as standard there is still room to fit some optional equipment such as Dynaudio, Volkswagen's premium 600W audio system with 10 channel amplifier and 10 speakers, automatic tailgate electric glass sunroof (slide and tilt adjustable with sunblind), VW's brilliant RNS510 satellite navigation system with high resolution touch screen display, and rear view camera plus with dynamic guidance lines (wagon only). The rear seats are very comfortable for three people and especially so for two with the outer rear seats also heated. Plenty of leg room and high back rests mean that passengers also travel in the same level of comfort. They also have their own controls for the airconditioning. There are bottle holders in both front and rear doors as well as in the centre console for the front and rear centre armrest. Plenty of neatly tucked away storage areas, large glove box. The vehicle overall is well thought out and designed. This is evident in the little touches such as electrically foldable side mirrors that lower when reversing, umbrella holder in drivers door, heated washer jets, anti theft alarm with tilt sensor, tyre pressure monitoring system, metallic paint etc. The boot area is another story altogether. Just how VW manages to extract so much space is amazing because it is positively cavernous for a vehicle this size with up to 1641L of space available. We went away for a week long trip, myself and two teenage daughters (and you can only imagine how much luggage they take) and the boot swallowed it all and still allowed the luggage cover to be folded across giving visibility out the rear. While on that topic overall visibility is excellent The heart of the R36 is a 3.6 litre six cylinder direct injection petrol engine which propels the most powerful Passat of all time with 220kW of power and 350 Nm of torque. As part of the standard equipment, the power transmission is managed by Volkswagen's innovative six speed Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) ensuring maximum control over this performance vehicle. Gear chages are imperceptable and it always seems to be in the perfect gear. This greatly enchances fuel economy and we achieved 9.0L/100KM on our trip and approximately 13.2L/100Km around town. Fantastic for a vehicle as sporty as this. The 4MOTION all wheel drive system offers maximum stability and cornering control at all times. In principle, all-wheel drive technology is particularly advantageous in the wet, on ice and snow and is superior to rear wheel drive in particular. But also on dry roads, 4MOTION improves the lateral guiding force and therefore the active safety. In addition the R36 has every conceivable acronym available with ESP, ABS, ASR, EBD, etc. Inside there are enough airbags to refloat the Titanic, the reversing camera which is one of the best on the market and beeping that drives you crazy anytime you get close to something.
The top speed of the sedan is electronically regulated at 250 km/h. In terms of speed, the Passat R36 outstrips every other production Volkswagen in accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h: the wagon reaches the 100 km/h mark in 5.8 seconds (5.6 seconds for the sedan). It is however the way the R36 performs that is more important than the raw figures. It seem effortless!
Like all vehicles it does have its faults, but these are few. The sports tuned suspension combined with the 235/40 R18 tyres ensures that you feel every bump and crack in the road with force. The 6sp DSG transmission while super smooth when moving has no transmission creep. This means that at lights on an incline you put your foot down and for a second the vehicle rolls back. This can be disconcerting and often means left foot braking at lights. The electronic brake while clever can and does have problems. The steering is slightly heavy at slow speeds and towards full lock. The performance dictates Premium 98 octane fuel, which is expensive and despite paying thousands of dollars for the RNS510 sattelite system it doesnt have Bluetooth, which is crazy really. I know most of these are picky, but that is what happens when the overall package is so good, you start finding fault in simple things. At $73,000 approximately the Passat R36 is certainly an enormous bargain with few true competitors. It is one of the few cars that I would actually buy |
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