Volkswagen Passat Crowned Champion At What Car? Tow Car Awards 2024

Published: Thursday, June 13, 2024, 21:06 [IST]

The Volkswagen Passat has been named the best car for towing in the UK by What Car? magazine and The Camping and Caravanning Club. The Passat 1.5 eTSI R-Line emerged as the overall winner in the What Car? Tow Car Awards 2024, topping its category for vehicles with a kerb weight from 1,550 to 1,699 kg.

Judges praised the Passat for its handling, space, and value for money. "Despite being relatively light at 1,572kg, the Volkswagen Passat tows with the assurance of a larger car," said What Car? Editor Steve Huntingford. He added that the car feels designed with caravanning in mind, towing straight and true even at high speeds.

This is the fourth time the Passat has won the overall title, having previously secured victories in 2007, 2011, and 2015. The What Car? Tow Car Awards are a joint venture between What Car? magazine and The Camping and Caravanning Club. Cars undergo a week-long test programme that includes emergency lane changes, acceleration from 30 to 60 mph, braking, and hill-starts.

The ninth-generation Passat went on sale in the UK less than five months ago. It is Volkswagen’s most aerodynamic estate car to date, with a coefficient of drag (Cd) of just 0.25. This makes it an economical choice for those seeking a modern estate car.

The Passat Estate offers ample space for five people and up to 1,920 litres of rear storage space. Comfort is enhanced by high-grade materials and the DCC Pro adaptive chassis control. The Vehicle Dynamics Manager controls electronic differential locks (XDS) and shock absorbers in the DCC Pro system for optimal handling.

The Volkswagen Passat is available in three trims: Life, Elegance, and R-Line. Customers can choose between the 1.5 eTSI 150 PS mild hybrid petrol engine or plug-in eHybrids with outputs of 204 and 272 PS. The plug-in eHybrids combine a turbocharged petrol engine with a 19.7 kWh battery that offers a range of up to 100 kilometres.

Sales and Market Presence

Since its debut in 1973, more than 34 million Volkswagen Passats have been sold worldwide, making it the second best-selling Volkswagen model behind the Golf. In 2023, Volkswagen registered 162,087 new passenger vehicles in the UK, achieving a market share of 8.52 per cent.

Volkswagen delivered around 4.87 million vehicles globally in 2023, including popular models like the Polo, T-Roc, T-Cross, Golf, Tiguan, and Passat. The company also handed over approximately 394,000 all-electric vehicles worldwide last year.