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By
EWAN KENNEDY
25 August 2008
The
days when the Volkswagen company was famed only for the Beetle
have long gone. Now the German giant has entrants in just about
every automotive field. From affordable and economical small cars
like the Polo, to large limousines in the Phaeton (sadly, not sold
in Australia), VW really is powering ahead on all fronts.
And
no car maker’s range is considered complete without a
high-performance division. In Volkswagen's case this consists of
the ‘R’ series vehicles. The best known is arguably the Golf
based R32, but the hot fleet also consists of the Touareg R50 SUV
– and now the newest model the Passat R36.
Not
only is it the newest, the R36 is also the quickest. Times like
5.6 seconds from rest to 100 km/h, and a top speed governed to 250
km/h were supercar territory only a decade or so back. Now they
are offered on a VW with a recommended retail price of only
$64,990…
That
sort of performance isn’t just due to a hotly tuned 3.6-litre V6
engine producing 220 kW, and 350 Nm between 2400 and 5000 rpm.
It’s also a product of the use of VW's 4Motion all-wheel-drive
system. This not only negates wheelspin during standing starts,
but also adds extra grip when cornering.
This
latter was particularly noticeable during our test drives at the
Philip Island racetrack, but also improves safety in on-road
driving. On greasy, slippery roads (not sampled during our test
program) this VW should prove impressively stable.
Better
still in the high-performance stakes is the latest version of VW's
superb DSG double-clutch gearbox. This automated manual ‘box not
only produces faster shifts than a full manual, but uses less fuel
at the same time.
This
combination of an excellent engine, all-wheel drive and six-speed
DSG gearbox explains how you can get so much performance for so
little cost in a modern machine like the Passat R36.
The
engine is a real delight to sit behind. It has seemingly endless
torque that propels it with ease while reacting quickly to
throttle movements. This powerplant is refined and smooth, yet
carries enough of an exhaust note to remind you that it’s a
special unit.
A
product of the Individual division within the Volkswagen Group,
Volkswagen Passat R36 comes with plenty of luxury gear to
complement its sporting highlights. There are sports seats with
adjustable side bolsters, leather trim that extends to the
steering wheel and gearlever covers, automatic headlights and
wipers as well as a self-dimming interior mirror. The 10-speaker
audio system features a six-CD player and can handle MP3 inputs.
Badges on the sill plates have the stylised ‘R’ logo of the
Volkswagen R Series vehicles.
Exterior
features include a bolder grille design, a revised front bumper
with additional cooling slots, darkened tail-lights, and 18-inch
alloy wheels sitting within colour-coded wheel-arch extensions.
Safety highlights include eight airbags.
As
is the way with European makers, station wagons are included in
the Passat R36 lineup. Indeed, in their home continent they will
be major players and may frequently outsell sedans. Note that the
aforementioned time of 5.6 seconds for the zero to 100 km/h dash
is for the four-door sedan; the heavier station wagon requires an
extra 0.2 of a second for the off-the-line sprint. Like the sedan,
the Passat wagon’s speed is limited to 250 km/h. The cost of the
R36 wagon is $66,990.
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Marque Publishing Company
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