Press Release
Running Gear
Good safety properties combined with sporty dynamic produce the fun factor
- Front axle: Aluminium components reduce weight by more than 13 kg
- Rear axle: Four-link architecture with a decoupled subframe
The new Passat Variant is a fine example of what modern-day front-wheel- or all-wheel-drive running gear should offer in terms of comfort and handling properties. The four-link rear suspension (acoustically decoupled from the body by means of a subframe), a MacPherson front suspension with aluminium components and electromechanical power steering all add up to the highest-possible level of guaranteed agility, comfort and safety.
A performance version of the running gear, lowered by 15 millimetres, is available as an optional extra (or a series fitting in the Passat Variant Sportline); likewise a version raised by 20 millimetres and thus adapted for poor road conditions.
The running-gear for this vehicle has been ultimately perfected through addition of the electric stabilisation program as well as a new electric stabilisation program + stabiliser for towed vehicles (for all vehicle versions with a tow bar) – fitted worldwide as a series feature. Aside from the familiar functions which this stabilisation program offers, the system also helps to ensure early identification of the swaying motion to which towed vehicles are susceptible and to reduce such swaying by way of targeted automatic braking and engine manipulation.
Another revolutionary feature in this vehicle segment is the use in all versions of the Passat Variant of a 16-inch braking system. The Passat Variant with an output of 75 kW offers the same excellent braking performance as the 147-kW-version vehicle. The brake discs are equipped with a wiper of sorts, preventing a film of water settling on them during strong rains, which would be likely to interfere with their response properties. The new “wiper“ is activated when such rain affects the discs. In five minute intervals, this feature automatically applies a minimal-pressure braking manoeuvre, drying the discs in the process. The driver, meanwhile, remains unaware of this activity.
