2022 Passat Interior
The Passat's cabin is spacious and the fit and finish are solid, for the most part. While some of the material choices are not on par with the competition, it is a quality place to be. However, while the cabin is well-appointed with most controls within easy reach, the experience of occupying the aging interior and of sitting at the controls, is a bit like being seated in a church pew - but with a steering wheel. It is a serious, respectable, but unadventurous place to be. The Passat's competition provides interesting interiors with various personalities. Certain competitors like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry have a palpable sense of occasion when you take a seat behind the wheel; in their company, the Passat's interior is heavily dated. Ambient lighting offered on the R-line and Limited Edition trims does go some way to lift the mood in the cabin.
2022 Passat Interior Photos
Seating and Interior Space
The Passat accommodates five comfortably, with wide and supportive front seats that even large adults will find a comfortable position in. All models get eight-way power adjustment for the driver, seat heating for both front occupants, as well as V-Tex leatherette. The Limited Edition gets a driver's seat memory setting too, as well as heated outboard rear seats and genuine leather upholstery.
The rear bench is where the spacious Passat shines. There is ample leg- and headroom for three adults; the bench is wide enough for all three to sit abreast in a pinch, although the middle rear spot is never going to be the most comfortable and is best reserved for youngsters instead. The doors are also long, which makes getting in and out much easier, but may prove tricky in narrow parking spots.
2022 Volkswagen Passat Interior Dimensions:
| Volkswagen Passat Trims | SE | R-Line | Limited Edition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seating | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Headroom Front Seat | 37.4 in. | 37.4 in. | 37.4 in. |
| Headroom Back Seat | 37.8 in. | 37.8 in. | 37.8 in. |
| Legroom Front Seat | 42.4 in. | 42.4 in. | 42.4 in. |
| Legroom Back Seat | 39.1 in. | 39.1 in. | 39.1 in. |
| Shoulder Room Front | 56.9 in. | 56.9 in. | 56.9 in. |
| Shoulder Room Rear | 57 in. | 57 in. | 57 in. |
| Hip Room, Front | 54.6 in. | 54.6 in. | 54.6 in. |
| Hip Room, Rear | 54.8 in. | 54.8 in. | 54.8 in. |
Interior Colors and Materials
Although VW aims to keep the production cost of the Passat low, the interior is far from low rent. The SE trim gets leatherette in a choice of three colors, namely Titan Black, Shetland Beige, or Mauro Brown, while the R-Line has two color choices for its leatherette - Titan Black or a two-tone Shetland Beige/Black combination. The Limited Edition gets leather upholstery in either Titan Black or Mauro Brown. On the R-Line and Limited Edition, the steering wheel is trimmed in leather too. Although the liberal use of soft-touch plastics is an attempt to make the Passat feel more premium, some rivals offer a much more refined and plush cabin.
2022 Passat Trunk and Cargo Space
The Passat's trunk measures 15.9 cubic feet, which is above average in the midsize segment and more than the 15.1 cubes available in the Toyota Camry. The Honda Accord, with its fastback styling, has 16.7 cu ft. Wide and deep, the Passat's trunk will accommodate two large check-in bags and three carry-on bags, with space left for smaller items. For larger items, the rear seat can be flipped down in a 60/40 split.
Up front, the cabin has a few sizable bins and cubbies for wallets, phones, and other knick-knacks, as well as one in front of the gear shift for small items. There is a standard glovebox, and most water bottles will fit into decent-sized door pockets.
2022 Volkswagen Passat Trunk and Cargo Space Photos
2022 Volkswagen Passat Cargo Dimensions:
| Volkswagen Passat Trims | SE | R-Line | Limited Edition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trunk Volume | 15.9 cu. ft. | 15.9 cu. ft. | 15.9 cu. ft. |
2022 Passat Infotainment and Features
Features
After simplifying the trim lineup to three, VW has spread the features out a little better than before, bolstering the standard offering to include adaptive cruise control on all trim levels.
The base-level SE trim has dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, an eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat, a power sliding/tilting sunroof, keyless access with push-button start, remote start, and the prerequisite rearview camera system as standard, with safety tech that includes automatic LED headlights, blind-spot monitoring, rear traffic alert, forward collision warning, lane-keep assist, automatic emergency braking, and pedestrian monitoring. To this, the R-Line trim adds interior ambient lighting and steering wheel paddle shifters to its interior. The Limited Edition additionally features leather upholstery, a power passenger seat, a memory function for the driver's seat, heated outboard rear seats, and model-specific highlights such as Limited Edition Chattanooga tags on the front seats.
Infotainment
Infotainment is an area where the Passat's age becomes obvious. At 6.5 inches, it is one of the smaller touchscreens in the segment. However, the biggest criticism must be leveled at its position low on the dashboard. The screen is not within the driver's line of sight, causing you to take your eyes off the road to interact with it. This is exacerbated further as the screen is obscured by the driver's hands on the steering wheel. Still, the MIB2 system isn't awful, and it comes with SiriusXM, HD Radio, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto from the base model up. All models have two front USB ports and two USB ports in the rear center console. From the R-Line, navigation is made standard and the six-speaker sound system on the entry-level trims is upgraded to a Fender premium audio system with nine speakers, including a subwoofer.