The Passat cabin offers style, comfort and efficiency. The dashboard is contemporary in appearance, with rounded shapes and a distinctive instrument pod that houses the speedometer, tachometer, water temperature and fuel gauges. A multifunction trip computer supplies outside temperature, time, speed, distance and fuel consumption data. Minor controls are well-located, though the rearview mirror adjustment buttons are placed on the upper door panel and seem a bit awkward.In European fashion, the top of the dashboard, the steering wheel and the upper inside door panels are formed of attractively grained dark plastic that contrasts well with the upholstery color. The front seats are noteworthy for their comfort and support. Fore-and-aft adjustments operate smoothly, employing ball bearings on the mounts; height and lumbar support adjustments are standard. A split folding rear seatback increases cargo-carrying space considerably. Dual front airbags, seatbelt tensioners that deploy instantly during a collision are standard. A second airbag located in each front seat offers added protection in a side impact. There's plenty of passenger space in the Passat -- enough for four people to feel well cared for. A fifth person will be almost as comfortable, at least for short drives. There's plenty of headroom in the front seat even for hat wearers, but rear passengers taller than six feet may find their heads rubbing the headliner -- the only downside to that elegant arched roof.
|