Last year an ordinary production model Passat BlueMotion entered the records books by covering a distance of over 1,500 miles on a single tank of fuel, giving it an average mpg of 89.83.
Not resting on its laurels Volkswagen has launched a new generation of its Passat BlueMotion; which beats the official mpg of the record-breaking old model.
First revealed at the Geneva Motor Show back in March, the new Passat BlueMotion features a modified version Volkswagen’s efficient 1.6-litre common rail TDI engine developing 105 PS, coupled to a six-speed manual gearbox.
In addition to the Stop/Start and battery regeneration systems which already feature on the BlueMotion Technology models, the latest addition to the BlueMotion range includes further modifications to improve aerodynamics and reduce drag. These include low rolling resistance tyres, suspension lowered by 15 mm at the front and 7.5 mm at the rear, plus a revised radiator grille and underbody panel to minimise drag. The saloon is also fitted with a compact rear spoiler.
Lightweight and aerodynamic 16-inch steel rims are fitted as standard, while exclusive 17-inch ‘Buenos Aires’ alloy wheels are also available as an option.
These modifications result in an expected average combined fuel consumption of 68.9 mpg for the saloon (compared to 65.7mpg for the outgoing model) and 65.7 mpg for the Estate (compared to 64.2mpg), while CO2 emissions of 109 g/km for the Passat (down from 114g/km), and 113 g/km (down from 116g/km) for the Passat Estate, put them into VED bands B and C respectively.
All BlueMotion come well-equipped featuring curtain airbags, ESP, ‘Climatic’ air conditioning, electric windows, electronic parking brake, RCD 310 radio / CD player and Multi Device Interface (MDI) with iPod connectivity. Items such as the fatigue detection system with cruise control, Park Assist II and High Beam Assist are also available as options.
The new Passat and Passat Estate BlueMotion are available to order now, with first examples arriving in showrooms towards the end of July.
