2007 Volkswagen Passat

2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT RANKED FIRST AS PREMIUM MID-SIZE CAR IN AUTOPACIFIC VEHICLE SATISFACTION AWARDS

The Volkswagen Passat was recently recognized by AutoPacific, Inc., a noted automotive research firm, in its 2006 Vehicle Satisfaction Awards as the top-ranking vehicle for the Premium Mid-Size Car category.

Survey ratings by owners acknowledged the outstanding interior design, use of high touch materials and European driving dynamics as contributing factors in their overall satisfaction of the vehicle.

AutoPacific measures customer satisfaction by collecting data from thousands of new car and light truck buyers. Those surveyed are owners of new 2006 model year cars and trucks, purchased from September through December 2005. Respondents rated 45 different attributes, each contributing toward an overall satisfaction score on their new vehicle.

The 2006 Passat is completely redesigned inside and out, with contemporary, sporty European styling and a powerful new base engine. Base-priced at $22,950, the Passat is larger than the previous model, allowing for greater comfort and function while maintaining a sporty, confident design that commands respect with:
- a new, four-cylinder, two-liter base engine called the 2.0T, delivering 200 horsepower at 5,100 revolutions per minute;
- more refined higher displacement due to the returning VR6, a powerful version of its 3.6 L engine that creates 280 hp;
- an advanced four-link independent rear suspension;
- a new handling system that provides active-return steering and straight-ahead driving correction assistance;
six airbags, available rear torso airbags and Autobahn-bred safety features; and,
- performance features that can help avoid accidents, including advanced power steering systems, electronic stabilization and anti-slip features.
Since its 1997 redesign, the Passat has averaged more than 75,000 a year in Ú.S. sales, making it the most successful Volkswagen midsize car. The 2006 Passat also recently earned a 'Double Best Pick' designation for outstanding performance in front and side tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The Passat earned the top rating in every individual measurement category (head protection, injuries and structural design) for both the side impact and frontal tests. It also received a five star rating for occupant protection in the Euro NCAP crash test. Additionally, Kelley Blue Book named the 2006 Passat among the top ten best redesigned cars.

Source - Volkswagen

PASSAT AWARDED RENOWNED WHAT CAR? TROPHY AS 'BEST FAMILY CAR'

The British jury says: 'The best family car on sale today.'
Recently awarded the 2006 'Gelber Engel' ('Yellow Angel') prize by Germany's ADAC automobile club, the Volkswagen Passat now rakes in another prestigious prize, the 'Best Family Car' trophy awarded by the British automobile magazine What Car?




The vote went to the Passat. This model is the sixth generation of a bestseller which also received the highest possible Euro NCAP score of five stars for vehicle safety after crash testing was performed. The magazine jury was impressed by a car which displayed the finest of characteristics on all counts. The vehicle's style sets it apart from its competitors, states a comment in the latest issue of What Car? But it was not its visual design alone which appealed to the jury. The Passat's inner values, including high-tech features normally found in the luxury class (an electronic parking brake, for instance, and LED rear lights), and the car's good value for money were also compelling factors for the magazine staff.

According to the jury, the Passat satisfies to a high degree the demands for robust design and passenger comfort while at the same time affording space to spare both in the passenger compartment and in the boot. The jury expressly praised the car's engine capacity, in this case a 2-litre turbo diesel (TDI) with 103 kW/140 hp, and its firm suspension and control, concluding that it 'is comfortably the best family car on sale today.'



The new Passat – A champion:
It was only yesterday, Thursday, that the Passat received the coveted 2006 'Gelber Engel' ('Yellow Angel') prize awarded by Germany's ADAC automobile club. This is a contest in which 320,000 readers cast their vote. The Passat came out the winner in the category 'Car'. The Passat also took the '2005 Golden Steering Wheel', a prize awarded by Germany's Bild am Sonntag newspaper. Since their market launch, the Passat and the Passat Variant have received several different awards in Germany and elsewhere. The number of vehicle registrations recorded by the German Federal Office for Motor Traffic in 2005 illustrates that the Passat is extremely well received by customers as well. With 98,136 new registrations for this automobile and a market share of 17.3 per cent (11,705 vehicles in December; 26.7 per cent market share), the new Passat has established itself as a top seller in the mid-class segment within a matter of only a few months.

Source - Volkswagen