UK COTY - BEST ESTATE - The All-New Passat walks this one as being the best out there.

The new Volkswagen Passat Estate, which went on sale in the UK in January, has been named Estate Car of the Year in the UK Car of the Year Awards 2015. Voted for by a panel of 27 professional motoring journalists the UK Car of the Year Awards recognise the best new cars on the market for UK customers, which are test driven and judged on UK roads.

While assessing the Passat Estate, the judges were impressed by the car’s quality, prestige, space and value for money.  John Challen, Managing Director of UK Car of the Year Awards, summed up: ‘The ultimate estate just happens to also be a car that is comfortable, great to drive and a very pleasant place to be.’

Towcar expert and motoring journalist David Motton added: ‘With sharp new styling and a huge 650-litre boot, you can't buy a better estate than the Passat for sensible money.  It's spacious, economical and rivals the prestige German brands for interior quality.’

The new Passat Estate is available with a choice of four diesel engines, ranging in power output from 120 to 240 PS.  A plug-in hybrid GTE version with a 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine and electric motor will follow later in 2015.  A frugal BlueMotion with a 1.6-litre engine returning 78 mpg and just 95 g/km of CO₂ will join the range in June 2015, while an Alltrack version of the Estate will make its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show next week before sales start in July.

Five trims are currently offers: S, SE, SE Business, GT and R-Line. All offer a high level of standard features with highlights including Post-Collision Braking System and mis-fuelling prevention; Front Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Pre-Crash system, Driver Profile Selection, Ergo Comfort seats and front and rear parking sensors on SE and above; and Discover Navigation on the SE Business which is aimed at fleet drivers.  

Heated Alcantara seats, three-zone climate control and 18-inch wheels are standard on GT, while the range-topping R-Line adds a host of bespoke design features.  Innovations on the Passat range include a world-first Trailer Assist system, which provides assistance when reversing a vehicle with a trailer attached.

Prices for the award-winning all-new Volkswagen Passat Estate start at £23,745 RRP OTR; a saloon version of the Passat is also available, costing from £22,215.