THE Passat has long been a firm company car favourite but Volkswagen has decided to give its roomy mid-ranger a lift with a new R-Line trim level.
Outside, the R-Line models get a new body kit with side skirts, a rear spoiler and a front bumper incorporating cornering fog-lights.
The new supercharged 1.4 petrol engine has the power of the 1.8
The suspension is lowered by 15mm and there are eighteen-inch wheels with wide 235/40 tyres. Extra chrome trim and LED running lights and tail-lamps complete the look.
Inside, the R-Line’s spec broadly follows that of the existing Passat S, with Bluetooth, USB and iPod connections, a DAB digital radio and a leather-trimmed multifunction steering wheel.
Diesel engine options are Volkswagen’s familiar 1.6 and 2.0-litre TDI power units but the only petrol choice is a new 1.4 TSI that uses supercharging to deliver 160 horsepower.
That’s the same as the existing 1.8 TSI engine which will be replaced across the Passat range by the new 1.4 TSI.
All engines get fuel saving BlueMotion features such as stop/start. That helps the 1.4 TSI to achieve 144g/km and 45.6 MPG in manual saloon form (cars with self-shifting DSG gearboxes do slightly better) so if your business mileage isn’t that high it’ll give the diesels a run for their money.
Prices for R-Line Passats start at £22,115 for a 1.6 TDI saloon; cars with the new 1.4 TSI engine start at £22,470.
The R-Line body kit is also available for Passat Highline and Sport models at a cost of £900 including fitting.
