Already the best-selling company car in Germany, Volkswagen’s Passat Wagon provides a luxurious alternative for Australian motorists whose needs dictate a little extra space.

According to a study by the market research company Dataforce, not only is the Passat Wagon Germany’s most popular company car, there are five other Volkswagen Group products in the top 10 – Audi A4 Avant, the new Golf and the Golf Wagon, Touran and Audi A6 Avant.

And while business travelers – the road warriors – make up the bulk of Passat Wagon customers in Germany, here in Australia, families are attracted to the glorious European styling and quality, beautiful interior appointments, abundant safety features…and of course the handy 1545 litres of luggage space.

The luggage area features sliding rails for easy loading, a protective edge to protect the tailgate paintwork and a retractable luggage net that keeps the load in place.

Australian Passat wagons are powered by Volkswagen’s silky-smooth 2.8-litre V6 engine delivering 140kW of power at 6000 rpm and peak torque of 260Nm at 3200 rpm. The transmission is a five-speed automatic with Volkswagen’s Tiptronic self-shift function.

Front suspension is an independent multi-link design with coil springs and an anti-roll bar. At the rear is a Torsion beam axle with trailing arms, coil springs and an anti-roll bar. Passat Wagons came standard with 17-inch alloy wheels fitted with high performance 225/45 ZR17 tyres.

Like its sedan stablemates, the Passat Wagon provides sure-footed stopping thanks to four-wheel disc brakes (front ventilated).

Inside are the luxury interior appointments and superb ergonomics for which Volkswagen has earned the reputation for the being the world’s best. Velour is the standard trim but a beautiful selection of leather upholstery can be ordered as an option (including heating for the front seats). Walnut wood inserts in the centre console, storage lid and door trims add to the overall luxury feel.

Standard features include climate-control air-conditioning, cruise control and an 8-speaker in-dash 6-CD player sound system with steering wheel-mounted controls.

Safety is unquestioned in any Volkswagen model – the Passat wagon is up with the best.

Passive safety features include ABS anti-lock brakes, Electronic Brake-pressure Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist, Electronic Differential Lock (EDL), Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR) and Electronic Stabilisation Program (ESP).

Active safety features include driver and front passenger airbags, driver and front passenger side airbags and front and rear curtain airbags, door side impact protection, a rigid safety cell with front and rear crumple zones and 3-point seat belts for all occupants (front and outer rear seats with pre-tensioners with belt force limiters).

Volkswagen’s Passat range has been one of the German automotive industry’s most successful models for over 30 years. Since its debut in August 1973, over 13 million Passats have been sold throughout the world.

Global Passat sales last year topped 728,000 and currently about 2700 Passats are manufactured each day at Volkswagen plants in Emden and Mosel in Germany as well as Shanghai (China) and Anchieta (Brazil).

Clearly for Australian wagon buyers, Volkswagen’s Passat models offer the best of both style and substance. Its subtle and elegant European lines, superb on-road dynamics and the practicality of a wagon make the Passat a ‘winner’ in all parts of the world.

Australian prices for the Passat wagon begin at $57,800 (RRP).