01 May 07
The Passat BlueMotion rolls on special hard compound tyres, to help reduce rolling resistance: they may well do that, but they also increase tyre noise at speed. Which means that holding a conversation at motorway speeds can be tricky.
These tyres and the lowered suspension have also had an adverse affect on the Passat's cruiseability, with minor imperfections in the road surface now upsetting the smooth nature of the Passat.
Performance hasn't been hampered by the economical gearing - mainly due to the 0-62mph sprint happening in first and second gears, so the 12.1-second time remains. Top speed is actually 2mph higher due to the improved dynamics, but that's hardly a selling point for an eco-friendly car.
One selling point however, is the reduced CO2 figure - down from 148g/km to 136g/km - and while this won't affect the price of your annual tax disc, company car drivers will see a couple of percent difference in their liability. But, this might be offset by the additional cost of the BlueMotion - prices are due to be finalised nearer the car's launch at the end of the year, but a £1,000 premium wouldn't surprise us.
As much as we should applaud Volkswagen for trying to reduce the environmental impact of its drivers, the BlueMotion isn't the answer just yet. Downsizing is another alternative, which it's peddling with the TSI petrol engine in the Golfand Touran - and is actually more effective in the real world.
For now, we'd recommend sticking to the regular diesel Passat and going easy on the accelerator.
Alternatively, you could try out some of our Drive Greener tips if you really want to reduce your environmental impact.
