|  The new 2007 Passat wagon arrives at dealerships across the country beginning early this year and is the only truly German-built family midsize wagon in its competitive set. Just as its predecessor, this newest Volkswagen Passat wagon still represents the market's most accessible German-made wagon choice with this much room, comfort and sophisticated technology and engineering.
The Volkswagen Passat is available with a choice of engines and this time around we're finding ourselves favoring the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder in some respects over the 3.6-liter V6.
The 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that comes on the base and 2.0T models is responsive and works well with the six-speed automatic. Volkswagen and Audi seem to have solved some of the drivability issues we've expressed in the past about the compatibility of the 2.0-liter turbo with the automatic transmission. On previous-generation models, the turbo and automatic didn't work together: The turbo would lag and the transmission would upshift right when we stepped on the gas and wanted to go, which was not good when we were moving out of a slow lane into a fast lane with trucks looming in our rearview mirror. All of that seems to be gone now; the automatic on the 2007 models seems to work just fine with 2.0-liter turbo engine.
The 3.6-liter V6 is a smooth engine. Responding with an approving growl to the driver's right foot, the narrow-angle V6 delivers a robust flow of power, taking the relatively heavy Passat to 60 mph from a stop in about 6.6 seconds. The 3.6-liter engine has good torque down low, and once underway it revs freely, happily climbing toward the 6200-rpm power peak without harshness. But it sometimes hesitates at the bottom end. Step on the gas and there's a moment when nothing happens, both from a standing start and when cruising slowly.
The Passat wagon is spacious and comfortable, and just as versatile as any comparably-sized crossover. And it's lower, for easier passenger and cargo access. As in the Passat sedan, there is an umbrella holder in driver's door, a pleasant detail, and an electronic parking brake operated by a button on the dash. There is also the power tailgate, which can be opened by a button on the key fob, and closed by another button on the tailgate. Tailgate lift height is programmable, and even at its highest setting it's not a high as an SUV tailgate - good news for shorter people.
The interior design is pleasingly simple and tasteful, in a conservative German manner. Leatherette is the standard seating material, but German leatherette seems more like leather than some other manufacturers' leather. It's perforated for ventilation, and offers a very high level of comfort, front or rear. The front passenger seat in my test car was manually-adjustable, but the driver's had a mix of power back and lumbar adjustment, and manual cushion position and height adjustment, a convenient feature considering the position of the manual seatback adjustment knob. American use is catered to, with a large and useful console box, minimalist cupholders, and a power point on the console, storage pockets in all doors, and bottle holders in the front pockets. Besides holding two or three adults in comfort, the rear seat can be folded flat with a 60/40 split, or long items can be run through the central passthrough. And the lift to the load floor is less than in a crossover.
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