Pros and Cons: VW Passat R-Line, brilliant ride but would you pick this over Accord?

Volkswagen Malaysia introduced the Volkswagen Passat R-Line as a new variant on top of the Passat Elegance. It competes against the likes of Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.

The 2020 Volkswagen Passat R-Line is priced at RM 204,433 (OTR without insurance and SST). If you’re eyeing on the Passat R-Line, we’ve lined up the pros and cons to help with your buying decision.

Pros:

• Excellent ride quality
• Effortless driving experience
• Spacious and upmarket interior
• Fuel efficient

Cons:

• No ADAS
• Pricier than rivals

Pros – Excellent ride quality

Fitted the adaptive dampers (DCC), the Volkswagen Passat R-Line wafts along in comfort mode. The firmness typically associated with Volkswagens is virtually non-existent, even on relatively low profile tyres with 19-inch wheels.

In sport mode, damping firms up and the ride gets busier. But comfort level is still perfectly acceptable and in return, the Passat corners with increased levels confidence as body roll feels more controlled.

Pros – Effortless driving experience

With 320 Nm of torque on tap, getting up to speed or overtaking is a breeze in everyday driving situations. It also makes highway cruising an effortless affair. 0-100 km/h is dispatched in 8.1 seconds, quickest yet in its segment. The Honda Accord 1.5 TC-P with slightly more power (201 PS vs 190 PS) does the century sprint in 8.7 seconds.

All the controls such as steering, brakes, and throttle are well-calibrated for daily driving. Steering is relatively light and responds progressively to inputs, as are the brakes and throttle. Speaking of throttle, the response in comfort mode is slightly delayed but switching to normal or sport mode will alleviate this phenomenon.

Pros – Spacious and upmarket interior

The Volkswagen Passat feels among the most spacious in its segment, bested only by the Honda Accord. The dashboard and A-pillars are slim, creating the impression of space. There are 3 tennis balls of kneeroom and 1 tennis ball of headroom at the rear for a 177 cm adult such as yours truly.

It’s also practical with plenty of storage spaces and most of them are lined with felt, which gives it a more premium ambiance. Also lifting up the cabin ambiance are the Nappa carbon-style leather seats, aluminium pedals, and ambient lighting with 30-colour selection.

Pros – Fuel efficient

We recorded a fuel consumption figure of 6.5-litre/100 km in mixed driving conditions of about 80 % highway and 20% city driving.

Whilst driving conditions were slightly different with about 60/40 highway and city driving, the Honda Accord 1.5 TC-P achieved 8.8-litre/100 km while the Toyota Camry 2.5V returned 10.5-litre/100 km. Even if driving conditions were identical, we reckon the Passat would still be more frugal.

Cons – No ADAS

Like any Volkswagen models currently on the market, the Passat R-Line has no Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS). 

It only features blind spot monitor and rear-cross traffic alert. No autonomous emergency braking or any lane keep aid here, which puts the Passat behind the competition on the safety front. In this day and age when even a Perodua Axia has AEB, it’s almost inexcusable for a D-segment car to omit such feature.

Cons – Pricier than rivals

As stated earlier, the Volkswagen Passat R-Line is priced at RM 204,433 (OTR with SST exemption). Comparatively, the fully imported (CBU) Toyota Camry 2.5V is priced at RM 188,763 while the locally assembled Honda Accord 1.5 TC-P is priced at RM 187,390. Also, the CBU Mazda 6 2.5L is priced at RM 204,288.

All of the aforementioned cars feature some form of ADAS, whether partial suite like the Mazda 6 with AEB and Lane-Keep Assist or full suite like the Honda Accord with Adaptive Cruise Control and Low Speed Follow, which ultimately tips buyers toward their favour when safety is considered.

Conclusion

The Volkswagen Passat R-Line is an accomplished all-rounder. In R-Line guise, the Passat boasts a duality in its character; it wafts along in comfort mode and sharpens up in sport mode. The interior is spacious and is well-appointed. Plus, it’s impressively fuel-efficient.

Our biggest gripe is the lack of ADAS. Considering its asking price of just over RM 200k, we think the Volkswagen Passat should be equipped with at least AEB. If only it had ADAS, it’s an easy recommendation for those looking for the best of both worlds – comfort and sporty driving.