GRR Garage: Volkswagen Passat Alltrack – it's not easy being green

The Passat has been a fantastic accompaniment so far, but for those first few weeks – and then months – we were slightly taken aback by mpg figures that were staying steadfastly in the 30s. The Passat’s turbocharged 2.0-litre diesel is, of course, Euro 6 compliant and fitted with a tank for the now almost ubiquitous AdBlue, but in its early days, it still struggled to fulfil the marked economy figures. 

But over the last few months that began to change. Could it still be that cars need to ease their way into life in 2017 and we’re just very impatient? Could it be that we’ve begun to change the way we drive, adapting to the systems on the car that allow for more economic driving? Or, more logically, is it just a bit of both?

The Passat has now put those early days well behind it, managing a rather more healthy 45mpg regularly and, on occasion, even flashing up a 50+ average if we’re really careful. In eco mode, our Alltrack achieves these number through various means. Firstly, the usual change in gearing, matching the six-speed DSG ‘box’s behaviour to a more economical life rather than all out performance. It then partners this with clever use of coasting, come off the gas and the car will put itself into neutral and coast for as long as required, allowed for near fuel-free travel. It’s not the only car in the world to do this (you can even experience it in an NSX) but so far it’s the most effective use of it we’ve seen.

Of course, you need to learn to drive with (and sometimes around) these features to get the best out of the car. The adaptive cruise control will override any coasting, so should you find yourself on the prerequisite slope you need to remember to knock the ACC off to preserve fuel. You can also force the car into coasting if you’ve just been on the accelerator for a short amount of time by giving that right-hand pedal a quick flick, which jolts the Passat’s brain into gear, and slots it into neutral. Should you ever then need a bit of performance you need to have practised your patient face before you floor it, as the Passat isn’t going to be in the finest mood for going fast.

These little tricks sound like an annoyance at first, but once you have trained yourself into using them you’ll be surprised at how well the big estate can chug along without chugging on much fuel itself. How far can we go in our quest for economy? Who knows…

Mpg this week: 45.3.