The all-new Chattanooga built VW Passat TDI cruises on East Brow Road atop Signal Mountain early Wednesday afternoon.
Staff photo by Dan Henry/Chattanooga Times Free Press
RELATED ARTICLE• New VW Passats hit the roadPASSAT COLOR OPTIONSBlackCandy whiteGlacier blueNight blueOpera redPlatinum grayReflex silverTungsten silverTEST-DRIVE FACT FILEModel: 2012 Passat TDI SELEngine: 2.0 liter, 4-cylinder turbo dieselMileage: 43 mpg highway, 31 mpg cityTorque: 236 foot-poundsMaximum range: Nearly 800 miles between fill-upsSound system: Fender, 400 wattsTransmission: Six-speed automaticColor: Tungsten silverSafety: The 2012 Passat has not been crash-testedPrice as tested: $32,195 (base TDI SE is $25,995)Full-model price range: $19,995 to $32,950Available at dealerships: September-October 2011DRIVING IMPRESSIONS• Interstate 24: Crawling up the Ridge cut in 5 p.m. rush-hour traffic in 100-degree heat last week was a breeze. The car has splendid cabin isolation, and a premium Fender sound system keeps you company.• W Road (Signal Mountain): The Passat TDI is the perfect car for mountain twisties. With 235 foot-pounds of torque, the turbo-diesel engine allowed the car to scamper through the switchbacks. Wheee!• Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park: While the Passat is built with enthusiasts in mind, it also is a comfortable cruiser. A low-speed drive through the park was quiet and relaxing.• Interstate 75: Once clear of heavy traffic, the Passat TDI goes to work; the spirited engine propels effortlessly to highway speeds. Wind noise is noticeable at 70 mph, though.• Forest Avenue (North Shore): The Passat TDI launches up one of Chattanooga’s most vertical city streets at full throttle without breaking a sweat. Generic styling makes this car a stealth rocket.
Volkswagen turned over the keys to its Chattanooga-made Passat to North American automotive reporters last week and crossed its fingers.
Unlike almost any other consumer good, new automobiles get scrutinized by a swarm of media, including industry press, car-enthusiast magazines and auto websites.
Those reports can help make or break a new product, especially one with as dramatic a storyline as the 2012 Passat – a new car, made in a new plant, in a new country, by an untested work force. Frank Fischer, VW’s plant manager here, conceded last week that some have said it’s “crazy” to introduce so many variables into a car.
The flip side to this potential for chaos, though, is a clean-sheet product design, built by energetic workers at a state-of-the-art facility; oh, and managers who promise that they have doubled down on quality.