2016 Volkswagen Passat review – Roadshow

The Good The 2016 Volkswagen Passat features a spacious interior, huge trunk and a healthy menu of entertainment and safety technology features. The chassis provides solid handling, while also returning impressive ride comfort.

The Bad Even with updates, the Passat’s styling is forgettable. The turbocharged engine suffers from noticeable boost lag when accelerating from complete stops. Steering weight is overly light.

The Bottom Line The Passat does everything a midsize sedan should, but gets lost in one of the most competitive segments in the automotive space due to its uninspiring appearance.

The midsize sedan segment historically hasn’t been known for visual flash, but that has changed as of late, with models like the Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord and even Toyota Camry now wearing more stylish sheet metal. For those who still prefer an understated appearance for their daily driver, fear not. Volkswagen’s Passat is still here, and even with a wealth of useful midcycle updates for 2016, it’s design is still a walk on the mild side.

Hard to tell

Upon seeing this Volkswagen Passat SE test car, I honestly had a tough time picking up on its new-for-2016 styling updates. They are there, though, with a new domed hood, chrome four-bar grille, slimmer headlights, revised bumpers, trunk lid and chrome trim around the windows.

The Passat’s design remains clean and inoffensive, but firmly on the dull side of the spectrum. There are no swoopy body lines like the Malibu or Mazda 6. The front end doesn’t stand out like on the Fusion or Kia Optima. It’s just sort of there, taking on the mantle of the no-nonsense family sedan — perfect for people who like to fly completely under the radar.

Updates for 2016 include new headlamps, grille and fascia. Not so you’d notice.

Nick Miotke/Roadshow

Hop inside, and there’s a new dashboard, center console, steering wheel, frameless rearview mirror and chrome accents sprinkled about. Again, it’s tough to pick out the changes, but the straightforward and roomy cabin design remains. Materials throughout are of high quality, and while the front seats are comfortable, they lack much side support. Controls for the dual-zone automatic climate controls are easy to use. Passengers in the roomy back seat also get niceties like heated (outboard) cushions, and a USB port to juice up their electronics when on the go.

As for the trunk, it’s huge and capable of swallowing 15.9 cubic feet of stuff, which came in handy when carrying tons of video equipment for a shoot. The large trunk opening makes loading and unloading simple, and a new easy-open function is great when approaching the car with your hands full. Waving a foot under the rear of the car pops the trunk open when you have the key fob on your person.

Bigger dose of tech

While the Passat leaves something to be desired in the design department, it comes armed with a healthy arsenal of technology. The latest MIB II infotainment system is standard on all Passats, with my SE with Technology trim featuring a 6.3-inch captive touchscreen capable of pinch-zooming and swiping controls, which work great.

A cabin loaded with tech including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.

Nick Miotke/Roadshow

The new infotainment system features navigation, USB inputs and Bluetooth, with the latter capable of pairing with two phones at the same time. My car’s MIB II system arrived loaded with VW’s Car-Net program, allowing for the integration of Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink. Car-Net’s security and service also lets owners connect to their car via a computer or smartphone app to locate it in parking lots, lock and unlock doors, view vehicle maintenance status, make service appointments and pre-load destinations into the navigation system.

To keep a watchful eye on younger drivers, owners can set now set geo-boundaries and speed alerts. If the car exceeds the speed limit or goes outside of approved areas, parents will receive a text or email message, giving them ample proof to dole out a stern punishment when the disobedient offspring returns home.