MOTORING MOTORING VOLKSWAGEN
PASSAT Volkswagen sells more passats around the world than any other of its models, selling one somewhere every 29 seconds according to official statistics. The new passat is smaller than
before but offers more room inside for people and luggage. There’s real leg-stretching room in the rear and a massive capacity boot. prices start at £22,215 for the saloon models, rising to £35,505. There are also estate models, priced from £23,745 to £37,035. my test model was a mid-range saloon version, the se Business with the popular 2.0 litre 148 hp diesel engine and 6-speed manual gearbox. It costs £25,135. This version has a top speed of 136 mph, making it a
ROAD TESTS BY NICK FLETCHER
Our mOTOrInG cOlumn, By The experIenceD anD aWarD WInnInG mOTOrInG JOurnalIsT NICK FLETCHER helps Our reaDers chOOse The BesT OF The laTesT cars.
Buyers won’t be disappointed with the style or the perfomance of the latest passat. On a smoothly finished road the new passat makes almost no noise. It’s such a quality-finished , hushed place to go to work in that your typically time-short business user is going to arrive for the next meeting as fresh and relaxed as when they left the office. The passat tackles corners with some enthusiasm while making
VOlKsWaGen sells mOre passaTs arOunD The
WOrlD Than any OTher OF ITs mODels
parking sensors. With immaculate build quality, renowned dependability,
very relaxed motorway cruiser, and a 0-60 mph time of 8.9 seconds - showing its sporty prowess. even more impressive is the fuel consumption, 68.9 mpg combined, and very low emissions of just 107g/km.
FIAT 500X
On sale in the uK this spring, the all-new Fiat 500x, a crossover model with a wide range of personalisation features and 9-speed auto transmission. available to order now is the Opening edition of the 500x – and only 500 will be available for delivery in may. powered by the 1.4 multiair II 140hp, the FIaT
500x 4x2 Opening edition is priced from £17,595 – the same price as the equivalent pop star – but with £1,725 worth of extra equipment at no extra cost. The aWD version is powered by the 2.0 multiJet II 140hp engine with a 9-speed automatic transmission as standard. like the 4x2 version, it includes a long list of extra equipment including a black leather interior, rain and light sensors,and steering wheel paddle shifters. This is in addition to adjustable cargo floor, 18-inch alloy wheels, 3.5- inch colour display and 6.5-inch infotainment system with 3D satellite
The car’s aGIle hanDlInG characTerIsTIcs, WITh GOOD sTeerInG FeeDBacK anD assureD cOrnerInG
premium styling and excellent equipment levels, it is almost impossible to find even a minor fault with the passat. It is an exceptional package with understandable appeal particularly in the business sector.
sure the comfort of all aboard is maintained. There’s added comfort from the electrically adjustable seats in the se and se Business level cars, the latter adding satellite navigation, adaptive cruise control and front and rear
navigation. priced from £25,845, the range-topping FIaT 500x cross plus Opening edition offers an impressive £2,850 worth of additional features at no extra cost. The new, electronically-controlled, nine-speed transmission features “shift-on-the-fly” mapping and is able to switch to manual mode, while the four-wheel drive system it drives adopts a fuel-saving rear axle disconnection system that seamlessly switches between two- and four-wheel drive. The “Drive mood selector” has three different modes
for engine, brakes, steering and gearbox/transmission settings: “auto” offers the best compromise in terms
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