THE 1995 VW Passat GLX has a new price is $29,000. German car manufacturers starting to cater to North American customer _ TEST DRIVE GERMAN CAR manufac- _ turers have resisted putting cupholders in their cars for years because they believe that driving is unsafe while drinking any type of liquid refreshment. They may be right but North Americans want cupholders, and most.German car companies have decided to respond to the voice of the North American customer. The 1995 Volkswagen Passats now have a large cupholder in the rear and will be offering dual cupholders in the front laler this year. That's just one example of how Volkswagen has redesigned its biggest car, the mid-sized Passat, with North American tastes in mind. : The front-wheel-drive, five-pas- senger Passat, which is available as a sedan or station wagon, is best known for its interior roominess, big trunk (sedan), and superb han- dling and ride. But the standard 134-horsepow- er, 2.0-litre, four-cylinder and avail- able five-speed manual and four- speed auiomatic transmissions were not received well on this continent. The four-cylinder engine vrs rather noisy and harsh and didn’t have enough “oomph” for this size of a car. In addition, the manual transmission did not shift smoothly and the automatic transmission tended to hesitate, perhaps because of the four-cylinder engine’s weak torque. So it’s not surprising that the four-cylinder engine has been discontinued. All 1995 (model year) Passat GLX models now have the 172- horsepower, 2.8-litre, V6 engine which was first introduced in the Passat last year. This is a very will- ing, responsive, smooth, and quiet engine which was out of the best of the Passat’s excellent handling capabilities. (More about this engine ina minute.) The Passat GLS will continue to offer the 75-horsepower, 1.9 litre, turbo diesel engine which is designed for those buyers who want excellent fuel economy and high mileage capability such as fleet buyers and taxicab companies. _ However, most personal-use buyers will find the diesel engine too rough, noisy, and underpowered for everyday use. The i995 Passat has a new grille between the headlamps where there was no grille before. While Europeans often embrace the ; “grille-less” fook, North American buyers prefer the secure appearance of an obvious breathing link with the radiator. : A small styling change like a new grille may secm insignificant, but it could increase Passat sales considerabiy in North America. Other styling changes include narrower, wraparound front head- lamps, larger rear taillamps, a new decklid with an integral “lip” instead of a decklid spoiler, and smoother body contours. The interior has been redesigned too. Dual airbags are now standard and there are new easy-to-use rotary heat and ventilation dials. Another new feature often found on more expensive cars is a dust and pollen filter to keep the inside air fresh. Prominent knee bolsters for dri- ver and passenger are now posi- tioned at the bottom of the dash- board. Knee bolsters prevent occu- pants from sliding under the dash- board in a severe collision -~ the problem is, the passenger-side knee bolster and airbag leave no room for a glovebox. There is a smatl, lock- able bin between the seats and map pockets in the doors, but cabin stor- age space is minimal. Thad good things to say about the V6 powertrain when I reviewed Friday, May it a year and a half ago, and that hasn’t changed. With a 172-horse- power engine pulling a curb weight of 1,447 kg, the Passat accelerates to 100 km-h in under nine seconds. Engine speed at a cruising speed of 100 km-h is a relaxed 2,500 r.p.m. With Culiy independent suspen- sion and a wide 215/SOHR-15 inch performance radial tires mounted on BBS alloy wheels, the Passat offers stable, responsive handling and a ctisp steering. The Passat also brakes extremely well care of stan- dard disc brakes on all four wheels and a three-channel ABS system. The Passat offers a form of trac- tion control as standard equipment. The Electronic Differential Locking system uses the ABS system to pre- vent one or both of the front driving wheels from slipping under acceler- ation. Perhaps the most significant improvement of the 1995 Passat is Price as tested $29,910 Base price $29,000 Type four-door, five-passenger sedan Layout — transverse engine/front-wheel-drive Engine 2.8-litre V6, SOHC X 2, 12 valves, Motronic sequential fuel injection Horsepower 172 @ 5,800 rp.m. Torque 177 @ 4,200 r.p.m. front 27, 1994 - North Shore News - 29 NEWS photo Neil Luconte grille, revised styling, a standard 172 horsepower V6 engine, four whee! disc brakes, and standard duai airbags. Base the five-speed manual transmission. It now has easy, direct throws that make driving the V6 Passat an enjoyable, sporting experience. The four-speed automatic transmission also performed well in my tests, but I found it reluctant to change from fourth (o third unless the accelerator pedal was given a firm push. The Passat’s base price of $29,000 is quite high, just about everything is.standard equipment, including the 2.8-litre V6 engine, five-speed manual transmission, disc brakes, central locking system, anti-theft system, air conditioning, power driver's seat with height adjuster, tilt steering wheel, auto- matic svat-belt tensioners, fold- down iockable rear seat, and eight- speaker AM/FM cassette stereo. The only options are a four- speed automatic transmission, power glass sunroof, and feather upholstery. Transmission five-speed manu- al (four-speed automatic) Tires 215/S50HR-15 Curb weight 1,447 kg (3.190 Ibs.) Wheelbase 2, in.) : ; Length 4,605 mm (181.3 in.). Width 1,720 mm (67.7 in.) Height 1,430 mm (56.3 in.) Fuel consumptioa City: 12 1/100 km (23 m.p.g.) Hwy: 1/100 km (31 m.p.g.) Warranty 3 yrs/60,000 km 25 mm (103.3 rn