The Passat Blue Motion sips juice like a Supermini!
Most 2 litre diesels these days are fairly economical, but the five-seat VW Passat 'Blue Motion' has a thirst a Ford Fiesta would be proud of. This week my Blue Motion Passat saloon has managed to consume, on average, under 5 litres of diesel per 100 kilometres travelled for the entire week... that's very impressive in a car that's the size of an office!
Most manufacturers are now producing extra thrifty 'Eco' versions of their cars for a couple of reasons. European legislation is bullying them to reduce how much CO2 their vehicles produce on average, but the main reason is the tax saving. The customer benefits from lower taxes and here in Ireland that can only be a good thing as it lowers the asking price of new metal. The Passat Blue Motion pricing starts at €27,390.
The Passat is and has always been a smart and business like machine. The only external clues that you have a more economical Passat are the Blue Motion badges. This branding appears throughout the VW product range and essentially means that the car has had a good seeing-to in all the obvious energy saving areas. The tyres fitted have a lower rolling resistance, i.e. they need less energy to move them so produce less drag and therefore use less fuel. The car's aerodynamic performance is re-examined to make the car as slippery as possible through the air, particularly at speeds above 80km/h where good aerodynamics count. The Passat Blue Motion also sits 15mm lower to the ground than a standard Passat.
To reduce CO2 emissions engines generally get remapped to make them hyper efficient - sometimes at the expense of out and out performance - but in the Passat Blue Motion's case it gets an engine to itself namely a 110bhp turbo diesel. CO2 is just 128g/km so annual road tax is a mere €156. The car has a five-speed gearbox (not six) that is geared 'longer' so you don't miss a sixth cog on the open road. The car also features a stop/start system to reduce fuel consumption when stopped.
As a business tool the Passat Blue Motion makes huge sense. High mileage users will reap the rewards most and with low annual road tax your financial controller and fleet manager will be pleased. The level of competition in the 'D' sector is huge with Citroen C5, Ford Mondeo, Toyota Avensis and Opel Insignia some of the main players. The Passat is currently one the oldest models in the sector - this is the only concern to speak of as we await the next generation Passat, which is due here in a couple of years. Passat remains an elegant looking machine that has loads of class and now with VW's Blue Motion treatment you can be that extra bit content with your purchase.
The Passat Blue Motion is a remarkably economical car that can average close to 60mpg in old money and that is simply brilliant!
Michael Sheridan
