Review of the new Volkswagen Passat Bluemotion 2

You'll be hard-pushed to find a Mondeo-sized family saloon or estate that offers CO2 returns of below 130g/km and near 60mpg combined cycle fuel consumption. Yet that's just what Volkswagen's Passat BlueMotion 2 serves up. This variant now has a quiet, modern and tractable 110PS 2.0TDI diesel up-front and is surprisingly good value for money compared to obvious rivals.

Volkswagen isn't normally a company that does things by halves but the first version of their apparently eco-friendly Passat BlueMotion smacked of just that. The main problem was that it campaigned with the company's rumbly old 105PS 1.9-litre TDI diesel engine, rather than the company's more modern 2.0-litre TDI unit. That meant feeble acceleration and disappointing refinement, which wouldn't have been so much of a problem if the car had delivered on its eco promises.

Unfortunately it didn't - or not to any great extent. A CO2 showing of 136g/km wasn't too much to write home about, nor was its combined 55mpg fuel consumption showing. You could get much the same from a quieter, much faster and similarly priced Ford Mondeo Econetic. But of course, it wouldn't be a Volkswagen, with all the high residual values and bullet-proof build quality that brings with it. All the Passat BlueMotion really needed was a more modern engine and a bit more thought. In BlueMotion2 guise, it has just that.

The big news for those who looked at the first generation Passat BlueMotion model and decided against it is the adoption of a much more modern 2.0-litre TDI diesel. We're used to seeing this unit in 140PS guise, but here it offers 110PS, still quite sufficient to move this car along at a respectable lick. More importantly, the larger engine is much quieter and has significantly better pulling power than its 1.9-litre predecessor. Sixty from rest is now half a second quicker at 11.7s. So is the 123mph top speed.

Unlike the old unit, this powerplant features common rail technology, with special electronic mapping to reduce the idle speed and optimise the engine for economy. The five-speed manual gearbox is also heavily revised with longer ratios for third, fourth and fifth gears to reduce loading on the engine and improve efficiency.

"Downsizing without downsizing: can't be bad.."

This apart, the eco-tweaks that enable this Passat to deliver such impressive economy and emission figures are based around a whole series of things that in theory might affect the driving experience but in practice really don't. The most important addition in this respect is the clever Stop/start system. Volkswagen were one of the first manufacturers to come up with this idea - as far back as 1994 to be exact. As you'd expect, it's been refined a fair bit since then.

If you haven't come across this kind of set-up before, it operates through the clutch. When you depress it and select neutral, the engine cuts, illuminating 'Stop/start' symbol on the multifunction display. Engage the clutch again and the engine re-starts automatically. You can also deactivate the system through a switch located on the centre console. Other fuel-savings come through optimisation of the aerodynamics through a 15mm reduction in ride height and the adoption of a unique grille element and front bumper with the usual air intakes blanked-off and relocated to the underside of the vehicle in order to reduce aerodynamic drag.

The BlueMotion wears its fuel miser uniform discreetly. There are BlueMotion badges front and rear but other than that, the BlueMotion models look much like any other Passat saloon or estate. The Passat's cabin, though smart, is rather functional, albeit in a clean, uncluttered fashion. Somewhat unusually for a Volkswagen, this could be where rivals will seek solace. There is a good deal more use of light tones than in the unremittingly dark dashboard of the previous generation Passat, but those looking for something that signally moves the game on in terms of design philosophy may well come away disappointed. There are a number of technical highlights featured, however, such as Bluetooth connectivity for the telephone unit, a superior quality stereo, an electronic handbrake and a 2Zone Climatronic air conditioning system.

The estate version of this car keeps the latest generation Passat's sharp looks, including the saloon's distinctive front design, which means it has the same imposing 'V' shaped chrome grille. From the B-pillar back however, the body is very different. In profile, the car has a more dynamic design than we've seen with previous Passat Estates, with a window line that rises towards the D-pillar. The angle of the tailgate is also less vertical, while fast-acting LED bulbs are used for the rear lights. Fortunately, the more streamlined appearance has not been achieved at the expense of luggage capacity. Maximum volume in the cargo area is 1,731 litres. Adding to the practical character of this model is optional self-levelling hydropneumatic rear suspension, while a rail system in the boot floor allows more flexible securing of heavy items.

Convincing customers that BlueMotion is worthwhile may well be Volkswagen most arduous task. This second generation BlueMotion 2 model costs over £500 more than the first model and around £18,000 is a significant amount for many private buyers to find. The maths only really start working in your favour if you're a high mileage driver but one can't escape the suspicion that this whole theme would work better with a Skoda than a Volkswagen, for instance.

Economy on the Passat BlueMotion 2 rises from 55.4 mpg in the old Bluemotion model (55.3 mpg for the estate) to 57.6mpg in the new version for the saloon and estate models. Carbon dioxide emissions drop from 136g/km (137g/km for the estate) down to 128g/km and 129g/km respectively - which is much more like it. By way of comparison, that's around 7mpg better than a standard 2.0-litre TDI 140PS Passat and around 5mpg better than a standard 105PS 1.9 TDI model. The emissions improvement is around 20-25g/km over these standard models, so it's an improvement worth having.

Pricing puts the BlueMotion 2 variant mid-way between the figures Volkswagen is asking for 1.9 and 2.0-litre TDI standard range Passat models, though since the 2.0 TDI 110PS unit isn't currently offered elsewhere in the Passat range, the actual premium being demanded for the BlueMotion 2 modifications is difficult to put a price on. What you can be pretty sure of is that in real day-to-day terms, this car will cost you less to run than virtually any other medium range Mondeo-sized rival - and virtually the same as a petrol-powered car from the next class down - say as Vauxhall Astra or a Ford Focus. Downsizing without downsizing: can't be bad.

The Volkswagen Passat BlueMotion 2 is the car we should have had from the start. Fortunately, the German marque was a year ahead of the game when it introduced the original version, so this product is hitting the market at the right time.

As we've said, so frugal and clean is it that buyers can enjoy all the benefits of downsizing without actually having to move into a smaller car. Which will be exactly what many families and business users will be looking for. Overall, it isn't a cheap package but it is a very effective one. With Volkswagen, it was ever thus.

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