The VW Passat is one of the few sedans that competes against both mainstream and premium adversaries. It needs a suitable set of weapons to do that, and today we got to test the sharpest one of all, ...

Where a standard Mk8.5 GTI pumps out a healthy 261bhp from its ‘EA888’ engine, in this Passat VW’s tuned it to deliver just 201bhp and 236lb ft of torque. So it’s a MediumGTI-engined car.

Once you step out onto the open road, you'll notice the second important change in the Passat's driving experience, namely the focus towards efficiency. This is a general trend of the industry, but ...