The Volkswagen Passat station wagon, called the Variant in Italy, was our chosen mode of transportation for two weeks in the hills of Tuscany. Although it was equipped with a 2.0 TDI diesel engine, it proved to be an entertaining ride.
A change in plans
We had originally planned on renting a compact car during our stay at Villa Ricrio. Upon our arrival at Milan’s Malpensa airport, it became readily apparent that the amount of luggage and people could not possibly be shoehorned into a Fiat Grand Punto or even a small station wagon.
Although the Passat Wagon is available in the U.S., Volkswagen limits the choice of engines to only two – a turbocharged 2.0 liter 4-cylinder or a normally-aspirated 3.6 liter 6-cylinder. While both are great engines, they represent only a narrow slice of the total offered in Europe.
Our Passat was equipped with the 1.9 liter TDI diesel – a 4-cylinder turbocharged direct injection engine that produces 104 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. of torque. This was mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. Since the Passat was a rental, there were two other features that made it distinct from its American cousins: hubcaps instead of alloy wheels (zip-tied to the steel wheels in a rather quaint custom) and a cloth interior (U.S. versions come with either vinyl V-tex or leather).
The entertainment factor
While 105 horsepower may not seem like much, it’s really torque that you need in the hilly topography of Northern Italy. At 184 lb.-ft., the diesel produces only 16 lb.-ft. less than the 2.0 liter turbo available over here, while the gas mileage – so important when you’re paying over $8 per gallon – soundly trounces the American version at over 40 miles per gallon on the highway. In addition, our Passat was equipped with dual-zone air conditioning, fog lights and parking sensors.
Because of the low horsepower, shifting was frequent, especially as the hills got steeper. Decreasing-radius turns during descents on the many mountainous switchbacks also prompted the requisite downshifts, but the sheer beauty of the countryside made it all worthwhile.
