Photos, 2012 Passat TDI, UK right hand drive

[Melensdad]

Spent about a month in the UK this summer driving a 2012 VW Passat TDI. When I got the car it had 16 miles on it. Not sure how many it had when I gave it back, but it went from Birmingham, England up to Glasgow, Scotland, then all over the West coast of Scotland. Back into England, taking a long route to London where I turned it in.

I honestly don't know how different this car is from the American version but I was very impressed with the car. There were some design flaws ~other than having the steering wheel on the wrong side! The clock in the middle of the dashboard was difficult to read at any time of the day because of reflections. The interior was fairly spartan, but still comfortable. Material quality was very good. With the exchange rate I was paying between $10 and $11 a gallon for diesel, glad the fuel economy was exceptional.

Here are photos for you to use as a comparison between the UK/Euro model and our US models:

 

[Melensdad]

You may notice they have rear vents, while I understand our US model does not. We have more rear seat leg room than the UK/Euro model. The rear door shape is different, as is the rear end/truck/tail light area. Front of the car looks very similar to ours. I like our dash much better than the horizontally split dash on the UK/Euro car.

 

[MyAvocation]

Rear vents... figured that'd be the first comment.
It's best described as incestual offspring between inter-continental siblings. A cross between the EU 2010 and NA 2012. I perfer the NA 2012.

 

[wolfsburg_de]

Nice B6.5.

 

[Melensdad]

...I perfer the NA 2012.

I do too. I think the NA version has cleaner, sleeker lines than the UK/Euro version. The tail lights on our NA version are more angled, the rear door and side/rear window shape is more modern too. The interior of the NA version also seems to be more refined and better planned.

I have not driven the NA version of the Passat yet. We are nursing an aging Volvo SUV through the winter and are planning a purchase next spring. The Passat TDI SEL is on our short list of choices.

I will say that the UK/Euro version impressed me greatly. It handled the narrow winding roads of Scotland with confidence and ease, no matter how hard I pushed it.

 

[LRTDI]

http://www.autocar.co.uk/CarReviews...-Passat-1.6-TDI-105-Bluemotion-Tech-S/246360/

Nice engine. I like the sound of it in the Golf/Jetta better

 

[abctdi]

Rear vents... figured that'd be the first comment.

You mean rear vents that the passenger can monkey with, and the kids can break...the NA version has hidden vents IIRC.

 

[MyAvocation]

You mean rear vents that the passenger can monkey with, and the kids can break...the NA version has hidden vents IIRC.

I'm fairly certain all recent VWs have floor rear vents -- including the A5, so this is nothing new.
Right on about kids breaking the console vents... mine already broken on the 2006.