A VOLKSWAGEN that costs almost as much as a 325i BMW may seem like a credibility stretch, but perceptions of the age-old people's car symbol are changing. The 2.8-litre Passat Syncro is certainly not transport for the proletariat. It does everything its donor car - the Audi A4 2.8 quattro - does, for substantially fewer dollars. Strong, spacious, comfortable and fast point-to-point, the latest Passat is a far cry from its mid-1970s ancestor.

VW Passat
Released: August 1995
Ended: February 1997
Family Tree: PassatThe Passat was the first new-breed VW and was the result of a joint development programme with Audi. It's had a number of comebacks here, with the previous version being offered quietly between 1995 and 1997 in front-drive, transverse narrow-angle V6 sedan form.
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