Beige gracefully

FOR Smooth hybrid handover, build quality, surprisingly agile and comfy… AGAINST …if you don’t pick the heavier hybrid. Dadbod image

Hope you enjoyed the rest of this month’s mag. It’s OK, a VW Passat Estate facelift review is not something you stick a thumb in to read first. But in a landscape dominated by niche SUVs clashing, the Passat wagon is quietly wonderful. One of these – a new plug-in hybrid GTE model – has just

become the 30 millionth Passat built. It’s improved to capitalise on that diesel hullabaloo someone caused a few years ago. The Passat GTE will now go 34 miles on e-power alone, apparently enough to complete most Passat owners’ daily commutes without waking the 1.4-litre, 154bhp petrol engine. Really? Don’t most fleet users clock up more? Anyway, a top speed of 80mph in e-mode (which the car defaults to, making quiet, slick getaways a doddle) is impressive.

Economy figures might be clever too, but thanks to the bottleneck in testing cars on the latest WLTP eco lie detector, VW has no official data on economy or emissions. Reckon on a real-world fortysomething to the gallon and the lowest tax bill of any Passat. There’s a five per cent price cut too, apparently. But VW doesn’t know the price yet. Because that depends on depreciation, which depends on efficiency…

Here’s the good news: this is a very complicated car that’s easy to drive. Punch the GTE mode button and you’ve got 218bhp on tap and 0–62mph in a very un-Passat 7.6secs. The engine makes pleasant growly noises and there’s a proper sense it’s being assisted by the instant punch of electricity. The gearbox shifts imperceptibly. It feels stout and punchy enough for overtakes that would make a 320d sweat.

Problems? Obviously it’s heavy. Weight isn’t confirmed yet (hah!) but expect not much change from 1.8 tonnes. No car I’ve driven this year has emitted so much tyre squeal in the corners from such low speed. The steering’s nicely weighted and the GTE turns in flat, but it’s out of sorts being hustled.

Oddly, other Passats aren’t. I grabbed a go in the 20mm higher, plastic-arched Passat Alltrack, which will benefit from cylinderdeactivating new diesel engines later in 2019. Weirdly, VW isn’t bowing to demand for petrols and slotting a TSI into the Alltrack - pity, it’s a hidden gem. Agile, supremely comfy, vast inside – one of those cars you step out of wondering why anyone buys anything else. Especially an SUV. This could be the best car VW makes. And you saved it for last.