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By Gary Highfield Volkswagen has never been known for producing sporty cars. Their first try was the odd looking Karman Ghia, a feeble attempt at a low cost Porsche. After that washout, they wwmfim.wflm,m , but it was still very quirky. Lately they presented us with the Corrado, a very wellâ€"executed little demon that, unfortunately, has failed to catch on with the mainstream. vehicles such as the Rabbit, Golf, Jetta and lately, the Pasâ€" sat, introduced in 1989. When the VW designers went back to the drawing board to design a new Passat, it appears they had a mandate to go wild (for Volkswagen anyway) because they have taken the Spartan Passat and created an Autoâ€" bahnâ€"burning road warrior for the ‘90s and beyond. Everything VW failed to accomplish with their sport car attempts has been wrapped into the sexy sheet metal bearâ€" ing the 1994 Passat label. Armed with a potent VR6 powerâ€" plant that produces 172 hp, the Passat GLX can sneak up tl:indmdowudmmdbbwtbdrdomofl'befm driver even figures out what is i Wufl&mn‘mw which matched with 6â€"byâ€"15 BBS light alloy wheels, provided a stunning view in The new Passat‘s a pleasant surprise ‘ouuumimsmmmmnmmmwmww.mmmnmawnmmmmwum.m mdMuwm.mmu%MNWWTw.mmmwmmumAMMd mw &Whuflwulummwumunwmmdwb120eu-mnwmmwmqmmmbmm on . YOU DON‘T HAVE TO READ THE FINANCIAL PAGES TO SAVE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. obA d . the eyes of yours truly. I haven‘t seen a VW this good looking since I saw Cindy Crawford draped across the hood of a Beeâ€" tle. All the harsh corners of the old Passat have been smoothed out and an all new front end gives the car a profile similar to an Audi 100. Following that theme, VW has added little hncuries usually reserved for more expensive German Small things such as headlamp washer jets, a trip comâ€" puter and a central locking system, all combine to make this the most luxurious VW to ever hit North America. Other features on our GLX included traction control, leather seating with excellent lateral support, premium, eight speaker sound system with CD (I suspect the same system found in Audis) and a nicely set up fiveâ€"speed manâ€" ual transmission. I found the interior very roomy and often had to keep reminding myself I was in a VW, not an Audi. The Volkswagen designers have done a commendable job in moving the Passat decidedly upscale. As much as the Passat visually imitates the more expenâ€" sive German sedans, it goes one step further in its perforâ€" mance similarities. Although not nearly as powerful as its bigger German brothers, the Passat holds its own all the same. The VRâ€"6 provides a 0â€"100 km/h time of less than eight seconds, which puts it in the same league as the BMW ~Saab 900 Coupe Turbo Freight , Licence WATERLOO CHRONICLE, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1994 â€" PAGE 33 ‘axes extra "Best New Car In Its Price Category" Kiplinger‘s Personal Finance Magazine "1994 Design Of The Year" Automobile Maga: Experience it for yourself â€" test drive one t;)day râ€"â€"â€"KITCH ENE R â€"â€" 5401. A top end of 224 km/h allows it to run with the big boys on the German Autobahns as well. A complex mix of Macpherson struts, coil springs, stabilizer bars, shocks and a set up to keep the Passat firmly glued to the pavement on even the twistiest roads. A mild understeer is present, although not so much as to be unnerving in tight comnering. Overall, the new Passat has to be one of the best packages to ever come out of Volkswagen‘s yard. I doubt it will ever garner the sales figures that the Beetle attained, however that is not its mission. The Passat is positioned to give VW a broader market coverage. With the Golf and Jetta providing VW converts, the Passat is nicely positioned to provide a luxâ€" urious step up without breaking the bank book. The Passat base price is $25,870 while the fully loaded GLX we tested, stickers a little under $34,000. Compared to a similarly equipped BMW 320i or an Audi 90, this is a very competitive price and makes the Passat a definite consideration if you are looking at an entry level German sedan or are considerâ€" ing trading in that Jetta. I am quite sure it will provide a Gary Highfield is a partner in MIG Automotive Consulâ€" 1994 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT GLX 450 Beimont Ave. W., Kit 744â€"5811 # # ®