The 2014 Volkswagen Passat might be from a German auto manufacturer, but it has a very American vibe. There is nothing European to the exterior design, except for the little VW logo on the grille and that first impression carries right on through to the interior.
They redesigned the Passat back in 2012 with the express purpose of making it more appealing to an American audience who was turning toward other vehicles in the competitive mid-size sedan category. You could look at this as a good thing because now it now seems to fit right in with the likes of the Chevy Malibu, Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.
Yet, part of why you buy a German car is for its German-ness and a little of that may have been lost along the way. The interior retains the clean simplicity you’d expect from a German car, but to such a point that it’s lost some of its character. It fits in by not standing out, at all.
The one place where you do feel that German-ness sneaking through is in the drive with a 1.8-liter turbocharged, direct injection 4-cylinder gas engine with 170-horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. It’s makes the 2014 Volkswagen Passat quick on its feet, responsive, and fun to drive.
It might look American inside and out, but take the wheel and press on the gas and the German car comes to life.
Check out this mashup review between the 2013 Volkswagen Passat and the Hyundai Sonata…
Nicole Wakelin fell in love with cars as a teenager when she got to go for a ride in a Ferrari. It was red and it was fast and that was all that mattered. Game over. She considers things a bit more carefully now, but still has a weakness for fast, beautiful cars. Nicole also writes for NerdApproved and GeekMom.
