2012 Motor Trend Car of The Year: Volkswagen Passat

If Car of the Year juries were seated like criminal trial juries, Volkswagen's lawyers might have used up their peremptory challenges dismissing the lot of us. They'd claim we had been poisoned by the launch coverage of the company's supersized Yank-tank B7-generation Passat. Harsh auto-show lighting made the car look like a freshened version of Chevy's little-loved Impala; early punditry slammed the interior as drab, plain, and cheap-looking; and news that the moaning I-5 we loathe in the Golf-class cars would be the mainstream engine seemed like strike three. Making things worse were VW's concurrently announced plans for world domination, which, combined with the above impressions, seemed to suggest that VW was saying "Vee unterschtand zat to sell lots of zees cahs to you fat Dummkopfs, zay need to be bland like Camry."

Unlike GM and Ford, which are consolidating regional platforms and introducing world cars, Volkswagen's larger new Passat will sell only in North America and China. The car and the strategy raise serious questions: Can an American-born-and-bred Passat be German enough to please the VW faithful? Can anything with a VW badge pry large numbers of people out of their Accords and Camrys? Can such conservative styling turn the heads of the legions on their way to Hyundai? Out on the test track, in the high-desert sunshine, three Passats spanning the range of powertrain and trim levels did their best to answer these questions, presenting evidence in each of our six criteria and gradually whittling away at our editorial preconceptions. Let's read the court testimony.

Advancement in Design

Granted, from 50 feet or in a two-dimensional photograph, the Passat engages the eye less than does the splashy "fluidic design" of the Hyundai Sonata, but closer inspection reveals exquisite detailing. Our own expert witness, Tom Gale, gets the ball rolling: "The package provides good accommodation, and like the Audi [A6], what is remarkable is the restraint shown with the handling of the design. Clean, beautiful surfaces have been refined for an engaging result. The upper character line, with its subtle undercut, is an example of the care taken with the stampings throughout." Engineering guru Chris Theodore found the exterior "tastefully executed with really tight shut lines and nice detailing." The result is sort of a time-release appeal that blossoms upon close scrutiny or when hand-washing the vehicle. It's a less flashy design than the Sonata's, but way more cohesive than the Accord's.

There's nothing trendy going on inside, either, which may let it age more gracefully than bolder designs. Gale admits the design "breaks little new ground, but the grain, gloss levels, and material choices are tasteful." He and others criticized the choice to prioritize the dash vents over the multifunction display, the low placement of which looks dated and represents an ergonomic back-step. Ditto the fiddly turn-signal-stalk cruise controls and the entertainment system's lack of a USB port (Bluetooth and an SD card are supported, and there's a 1/8-inch aux jack). But the car's functions can be intuitively controlled without consulting the owners' manual -- something Accord owners may appreciate.

Engineering Excellence

OK, the engineers among us dislike odd-numbered cylinder counts like this 2.5-liter's, but Theodore grudgingly admitted, "It's the best-tamed VW I-5 application ever. The thrashiness has been masked, and the engine is very quiet. A fine choice for middle America in real-world driving conditions." Your technical director's log reads: "This 2.5 appears to have finally found a good home," with praise for strong launch torque that keeps pace with the competition to 30 mph thanks to short gearing (its 9.0-second 0-60 time trails the competition notably).

Characterizations of the engine note ranged from "moaning" to "unique growl," but the general consensus was that the powertrain integration team earned its kibble. Sure, we wish it were a sprightlier sprinter, but we expect a direct-injected and/or turbocharged four-cylinder replacement to arrive soon.

The turbodiesel found no detractors. "Hands down, my favorite," declared product expert Jim Hall. "This diesel puts the hybrids on the trailer," said Lassa. "Pulls this car around so easily, and gives you 600 plus miles to a tank," added Evans. Pair this clean diesel with "one of the best twin-clutch transmissions in the business," said Theodore, and you've got a green car "without the compromises the mainstream green vehicles impose -- a true technological achievement." And for those who need more power, the compact VR6 teams with that same twin-clutch automatic to deliver class-stomping acceleration to 60 mph in just 5.7 seconds.