Though the Volkswagen Phaeton -- the brand's range-topping, understated luxury sedan -- disappeared from the United States market in 2006, never actually died. The tech-laden luxobarge is still offered overseas , and it has seen a number of revisions and updates since it was last offered here.
The 2014 Volkswagen Passat SEL Premium starts at $31,715. Photo by Volkswagen.
ASSOCIATE EDITOR GRAHAM KOZAK: What you see is pretty much what you get with this 2014 Volkswagen Passat SEL Premium, except where the engine -- a little 1.8-liter turbo four -- is concerned. Considering its humble 170-hp output, it's surprisingly capable of getting the car moving. It's not even a torque monster, though its 184 lb-ft are fully accessible from 1,500 rpm.
We haven’t even landed the regular Mk7 Golf in the US yet, let alone
the GTI, but Volkswagen is torturing us with whiffs of more forbidden
fruit, namely
the new Golf R.
The Mk7 may look like a mildly reheated version of last year’s car,
but it’s actually built off of VW’s new MQB platform, which promises
more
exciting handling. The engine’s new, too—still a turbocharged
2.0-liter four, but based on the latest EA888 engine found in the new
GTI. That car makes 217 hp, but this
one kicks out 290 hp (34 hp more than the last R) with 280 lb-ft of
torque. Couple that with the optional six-speed DSG transmission (don’t
worry,
there’s a manual, too), and you’ve got the first Golf to go sub-5 to
60 mph. Stick with the stick, and the same run takes 5.3 seconds, or
0.4 seconds longer,
though that’s still the same amount quicker than the previous manual
R.
