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2006 Volkswagen Passat THE ALL-NEW PASSAT RAISES THE BAR AGAIN
The launch of the new Passat in the U.S. is no small event. When it arrived on North America's shores in 1997, the contemporary Volkswagen Passat sedan and wagon essentially started the transformation of the
common family-sized car market. The Passat proved that the midsize car could actually invigorate drivers and passengers alike. It offered not only great utility, value, safety and room but also dynamic European styling,
innovative technology and a "real" German-bred driving experience. While the dictum that "form always follows function" is an enduring foundation of Volkswagen design, the exterior and interior styling of the departing but contemporary Passat dazzled this sleepy market with its simple sporty European styling and a refined German driving experience. It was hailed universally as one of the most acclaimed and trendsetting in recent automotive history; and, if imitation is the best form of flattery, then the Passat ranks at the highest end of the admiration spectrum as well. Fortunately, just as more and more automakers play follow-the-leader and begin perfecting their cloning, Volkswagen's designers have breathed new passion and power into the look, ambience and spatial presence of an all-new 2006 Passat. Overall, the sixth Passat is by far the most skillfully refined, secure and technically advanced of any iteration before it. Befitting this progressive target for the newest B class, Volkswagen's designers harmoniously sculpted a car that is characterized with an almost avant-garde potency and class—one that is clearly muscular, but in a purposeful, sinewy way that commands respect but in no way demands it. The new Passat goes proudly into the busy world of modern family life with a new medallion-shaped grille accented by brilliantly clear, clean, high-tech headlight housings that exude the precision engineering and advanced production of this new leader of the family class. Its eyes, the front lights, willingly challenge the road ahead, staring it down with the focus of a highly prepared athlete anxious for competition. This confident stance is also seen in the new Passat's silhouette–paralleling in a contemporary way its trendsetting predecessor–arching with functionality, beauty and a timeless tension that creates a visual balance when admiring eyes travel pleasantly from front to rear. At the car's back, one can see a classic and dynamic Volkswagen design leap that harmoniously mixes sharply tailored rear lighting with an enduring sporty and functional overall design. The new Passat's pure exterior dimensions have broadened slightly to accommodate, partly, a more functional and ergonomic interior. The wheelbase lengthens slightly to a new 106.7 inches versus the previous 106.4. Overall length is more dramatic: now 188.2 inches versus 185.2 before. The body is wider as well (71.7 inches as opposed to 68.7). Stability in general is further enhanced with a wider track Passat layout, both at the front and rear, which measures 61.1 inches (previously 59.6). A clear indication of the new Passat's quality foundation is its static torsion stiffness that is measured at a 57 percent higher level than its predecessor's already solid static rigidity. Dynamically, the new Passat also improves on the Passat's traditionally stiff driving tolerances that allow for a refined chassis and subsequent ability for engineers to dial in optimum suspension settings and improvements. The Passat's fundamentals are the tireless collaboration of designers, the R&D teams, engineers and production experts who have allowed for extremely innovative production methods and new techniques and materials. This production process is a complex array of advances, but the most dramatic contribution is achieved through the use of more high-strength, yet lighter, materials throughout and an advanced, highly automated, laser-welding system that requires a battalion of new-generation robotics and elaborate laser-measuring check points. This results in a dramatic increase in laser welded seams, and it also helps establish a significant breakthrough in weight barriers that allow for improvements in size, the aforementioned rigid integrity of the overall chassis, and the car's new class-leading amenities.
Inside, a simple glance reveals another evolution in Volkswagen's renowned interior design and simple but unrelenting attention to detail. Residing in a new Passat is again a unique and progressive automotive
experience: whether at the wheel or riding in the front or rear, the occupants find a fresh, stylish, modern design that remains strikingly simple with use of top quality materials, attention to comfort, driving and
details throughout all models – from the standard trim level that symbolizes Volkswagen's commitment to value for the money, to the top levels such as those found in numerous equipment options and stand-alone packages. As one expects of Volkswagens, the new Passat embodies the German engineering mandate of building ever higher levels of advanced occupant protection with each new generation of car. The previous Passat was
proven to be among the safest vehicles on the roads of America, regardless of vehicle class or weight. In the most important "real world" study of its type, the highly regarded Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
studied data from serious accidents and measured those with the lowest death rates (see IIHS "Status Report," March 2005). Among all passenger vehicles, the Passat attained the third lowest death rate.
Major standard safety items for the newest Volkswagen – many of which have been updated with the latest
technology but have been standard on Passats for several years – include eight total airbags, including front side thorax airbags, and Side Curtain Protection® (head) in the front and rear. As expected in a Passat, active safety is tantamount to the development of Volkswagens, and the 2006 Passat is no exception and arguably among the leaders in its segments in offering a list of performance items
that can help avoid accidents in the first place, including the stability and surefootedness of a precise-handling front-drive sedan, with standard four-wheel disc ABS brakes that are coupled with a
sophisticated Engine Braking Assist system. Another major technical advancement in the new Passat is a standard electro-mechanical power steering system that can help assist with straight-ahead driving
adjustments when necessary—an example of this could be freeway driving through strong crosswinds. All Passats come standard with an Electronic Stabilization Program—an active safety item that is being
recognized through independent research to be an increasing vital safety feature – Anti-Slip Regulation and Electronic Differential Locking. At the rear, the new Passat now is equipped with an advanced multi-link independent rear suspension. This feature promises to help the Passat set a new standard in its market segment by providing an ideal balance of sporty driving dynamics and ride sophistication. This fully independent four-link suspension, with coil springs, telescopic shocks and stabilizer bar, also allowed the designers and engineers to create more utilitarian space and practicality including a wider luggage compartment. Handling performance is honed to perfection by a new electro-mechanical power rack-and-pinion steering system that offers an extremely good "center feel" and contributes significantly to the new car's
confident-feeling stability. Unlike some similar systems found on luxury cars, the new Passat's function varies the steering assist based on the car's speed and other driving factors. This gives the Passat driver a
desirable connected-to-the-road feeling but also provides the added capability of active-return steering and straight-ahead driving correction assistance.
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