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One of the hot, new midsize sedans in the spotlight when the 2012 Denver Auto Show opens Wednesday evening will be the Volkswagen Passat.
The stylish, roomy ’12 Passat, equipped with a TDI diesel engine, carries an EPA highway rating of 43 miles per gallon of fuel. The five-day car show will run Wednesday through Sunday, March 25, at the Colorado Convention Center. Hours are 6 to 10 p.m. on Wednesday, 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday, noon to 10 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for kids ages 7 through 12; those 6 and younger are admitted free. Military in uniform will be admitted free Wednesday. Thursday evening’s show will be Senior Day; those 65 and older will be admitted free. Preceding the official opening Wednesday will be the Charity Preview Party by the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) and presentation of Rocky Mountain Vehicle of the Year awards by the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. “This will be our biggest show ever, matching up very well with last year’s spectacular presentation,” said Tim Jackson, president of the CADA, sponsor of the Denver Auto Show. The show is under direction of the Paragon Group. Colorado dealers, in helping to promote the car show, have staged the fifth annual Green Car Convoy and Parade. New fuel-efficient cars have been shown off in Montrose, Grand Junction, Glenwood Springs, Vail and Frisco on Monday, in Boulder, Longmont, Loveland, Fort Collins and Greeley on Wednesday and in Colorado Springs and Pueblo on Friday. Cars will be displayed beginning at 1 p.m. tomorrow (Sunday) at the Colorado State Capitol Circle Drive, then, shortly after 3 p.m. will be driven in a parade through downtown Denver to the Colorado Convention Center. The Denver Auto Show was launched in 1902; only Chicago and New York had staged shows prior to that. In its first 75 years the show was held on an irregular basis. It wasn’t until 1978, when, under direction of Bill Barrow, the show was resurrected. Barrow, newly hired head of the Denver and Colorado auto dealers associations, joined with Hugh Tighe, president of the Denver car dealers, and Bruce Kenyon, of the George P. Johnson company in Detroit, in planning the ’78 event. That effort directed the Denver Auto Show back to yearly prominence.
Tim Jackson, who succeeded Barrow on his retirement seven years ago, has earned national attention as one of the most active automotive dealer association executives in the country, and the importance of the Denver Auto Show continues to grow. Herm Brocksmith is chairman of this year’s Denver Auto Show Committee and Don Hicks heads the Colorado Auto Dealers Association.
Attaining the 43 mpg mark for highway travel is impressive for the 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI Premium SEL diesel sedan, a 3,400-pound four-door. With its 18.5-gallon fuel tank, its highway range is almost 800 miles. I averaged 40.7 mpg with the Passat in a 70/30 split of highway driving.
The new Passat, stretched a bit this year, exceeds most other midsize competitors in rear-seat legroom. It is dressed up with soft suede inserts in its leather seats. Passat acceleration, after a low-range lag, comes on strong through mid-range torque. Tied to its 2.0-liter, clean-diesel engine is a 6-speed direct-shift automatic gearbox (DSG), employing a dual-clutch system than instantly engages and disengages gears without the need for a clutch pedal.
A highlight of its navigation/entertainment center is the Fender premium audio system. Sticker price on the Passat was $32,965. Tiguan finds favor
in sound structure
In its fourth year of production for the U.S. market, the Volkswagen Tiguan crossover has gained favor for its solid structure and attractive interior .
The compact Tiguan all-wheel drive, too, is a nimble handler and offers a comfortable ride. It is only 173 inches in overall length. Noticeable, once inside and sitting in the supportive driver’s seat, are a small navigation screen and a large sunroof, a panoramic size stretching from the front to rear seating area. The rear seats will slide fore and aft and will fold flat. Less than 24 cubic feet of cargo space is available when the rear seats are upright. It generates decent acceleration and so-so fuel mileage from its turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine, and offers excellent shifting possibilities with the manual mode of its 6-speed automatic transmission. Its 4Motion system reacts instinctively to any wheel slip, apportioning torque where needed. The Tiguan has raised its EPA rating to 21/27 mpg. The Tiguan SE rides on 18-inch wheels, with independent front and rear suspension. It is built in Wolfsburg, Germany. The sticker price of $33,300 on the ’12 Tiguan SE was within a couple hundred dollars of the new one I drove when the Tiguan was introduced at a national automotive press gathering at the St. Julien Hotel in Boulder in May 2008. Among standard items, in addition to the navigation and sunroof, are power windows/locks/mirrors, heated front seats, heated windshield washer nozzles, air conditioning, trip computer, cruise control, Sirius satellite radio and fog lamps. 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI SEL $32,965 (price as tested) MPG City 31 Highway 43 Vehicle type: Midsize clean-diesel sedan Wheelbase: 110.4 inches Length/Width/Height: 191.6/72.2/58.5 inches Weight: 3,397 pounds Engine: 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder diesel Transmission: 6-speed automatic Fuel mileage: 40.7 mpg Fuel tank: 18.5 gallons Warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles basic; 5/60,000 powertrain Competitors: Toyota Camry Hybrid, Lexus CT200h, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Built at: Chattanooga, Tenn. THE STICKER $32,195 base $770 Destination PLUSES Fuel mileage Performance Rear-seat legroom MINUSES Turbo lag Costly fuel
The stylish, roomy ’12 Passat, equipped with a TDI diesel engine, carries an EPA highway rating of 43 miles per gallon of fuel. The five-day car show will run Wednesday through Sunday, March 25, at the Colorado Convention Center. Hours are 6 to 10 p.m. on Wednesday, 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday, noon to 10 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for kids ages 7 through 12; those 6 and younger are admitted free. Military in uniform will be admitted free Wednesday. Thursday evening’s show will be Senior Day; those 65 and older will be admitted free. Preceding the official opening Wednesday will be the Charity Preview Party by the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) and presentation of Rocky Mountain Vehicle of the Year awards by the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. “This will be our biggest show ever, matching up very well with last year’s spectacular presentation,” said Tim Jackson, president of the CADA, sponsor of the Denver Auto Show. The show is under direction of the Paragon Group. Colorado dealers, in helping to promote the car show, have staged the fifth annual Green Car Convoy and Parade. New fuel-efficient cars have been shown off in Montrose, Grand Junction, Glenwood Springs, Vail and Frisco on Monday, in Boulder, Longmont, Loveland, Fort Collins and Greeley on Wednesday and in Colorado Springs and Pueblo on Friday. Cars will be displayed beginning at 1 p.m. tomorrow (Sunday) at the Colorado State Capitol Circle Drive, then, shortly after 3 p.m. will be driven in a parade through downtown Denver to the Colorado Convention Center. The Denver Auto Show was launched in 1902; only Chicago and New York had staged shows prior to that. In its first 75 years the show was held on an irregular basis. It wasn’t until 1978, when, under direction of Bill Barrow, the show was resurrected. Barrow, newly hired head of the Denver and Colorado auto dealers associations, joined with Hugh Tighe, president of the Denver car dealers, and Bruce Kenyon, of the George P. Johnson company in Detroit, in planning the ’78 event. That effort directed the Denver Auto Show back to yearly prominence.
The new Passat, stretched a bit this year, exceeds most other midsize competitors in rear-seat legroom. It is dressed up with soft suede inserts in its leather seats. Passat acceleration, after a low-range lag, comes on strong through mid-range torque. Tied to its 2.0-liter, clean-diesel engine is a 6-speed direct-shift automatic gearbox (DSG), employing a dual-clutch system than instantly engages and disengages gears without the need for a clutch pedal.
A highlight of its navigation/entertainment center is the Fender premium audio system. Sticker price on the Passat was $32,965. Tiguan finds favor
in sound structure
The compact Tiguan all-wheel drive, too, is a nimble handler and offers a comfortable ride. It is only 173 inches in overall length. Noticeable, once inside and sitting in the supportive driver’s seat, are a small navigation screen and a large sunroof, a panoramic size stretching from the front to rear seating area. The rear seats will slide fore and aft and will fold flat. Less than 24 cubic feet of cargo space is available when the rear seats are upright. It generates decent acceleration and so-so fuel mileage from its turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine, and offers excellent shifting possibilities with the manual mode of its 6-speed automatic transmission. Its 4Motion system reacts instinctively to any wheel slip, apportioning torque where needed. The Tiguan has raised its EPA rating to 21/27 mpg. The Tiguan SE rides on 18-inch wheels, with independent front and rear suspension. It is built in Wolfsburg, Germany. The sticker price of $33,300 on the ’12 Tiguan SE was within a couple hundred dollars of the new one I drove when the Tiguan was introduced at a national automotive press gathering at the St. Julien Hotel in Boulder in May 2008. Among standard items, in addition to the navigation and sunroof, are power windows/locks/mirrors, heated front seats, heated windshield washer nozzles, air conditioning, trip computer, cruise control, Sirius satellite radio and fog lamps. 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI SEL $32,965 (price as tested) MPG City 31 Highway 43 Vehicle type: Midsize clean-diesel sedan Wheelbase: 110.4 inches Length/Width/Height: 191.6/72.2/58.5 inches Weight: 3,397 pounds Engine: 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder diesel Transmission: 6-speed automatic Fuel mileage: 40.7 mpg Fuel tank: 18.5 gallons Warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles basic; 5/60,000 powertrain Competitors: Toyota Camry Hybrid, Lexus CT200h, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Built at: Chattanooga, Tenn. THE STICKER $32,195 base $770 Destination PLUSES Fuel mileage Performance Rear-seat legroom MINUSES Turbo lag Costly fuel
