Stalwart estate gets a cutting-edge hybrid system and 80-mile EV range
Traditional estate cars like the Volkswagen Passat eHybrid can feel like something of an endangered species, but look closer and you will see that there are still plenty of new ones entering the market.We have recently seen an all-new BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class (Here’s how they compare), we drove the new Audi A5 Avant just a few weeks ago, and Volvo even reintroduced the V60 and V90 to the UK after a brief absence. Other markets don’t care for them, but here in Europe the estate car remains very popular.The enduring usefulness and popularity of the estate car, combined with the fact that the Volkswagen Passat is the firm’s oldest nameplate (pre-dating the Golf by one year), made it inconceivable that there wasn’t going to be a new generation. VW really is going all in on the estate, as the new Passat won’t even be available as a saloon.Still, this ninth generation has had quite a different genesis from previous iterations. It was developed alongside the Skoda Superb, with the project actually led by Skoda. Although it’s unusual for it to be effectively spun off the Superb, it’s not the first time the Passat has used the bones of another VW Group car: a number of earlier generations were based on the Audi A4.The Superb got the full five stars when we road tested it in diesel form earlier this year, so it’s a good start. The question is whether the Volkswagen Passat can still justify its existence next to its Czech cousin.
