Impressive handling

THE VOLUME of traffic in Bahrain is returning to normality along with the stress that accompanies negotiating the highways safety amid a countless number of thoughtless and careless acts.

At least sitting behind the wheel of a Volkswagen Passat CC you'll be for a comfortable ride.

Thanks to its range of impressive interior features including ventilated seats, dual climate air conditioning and a fantastic infotainment system, there are far worse places to be held up in a queue in central Manama as a dirty white school bus blatantly blocks the yellow box.

The plush model I drove came with leather seats, a moon roof (not to be confused with a sun roof) and immaculate finishing touches that all scream 'class'.

Speaking of special touches, the impressive infortainment system is operated from a central touch-screen display panel, although there are steering wheel controls too. You can activate the Bluetooth hands-free setting or adjust mode or volume using the steering wheel controls, so you never need take your eyes of the road, once you're familiar with the layout of the controls, of course.

It's not just the interior that's built to impress, how it handles is vitally important and the Passat CC comes up trumps. It's extremely responsive and is packed full of gadgets to make driving easier.

Reverse camera, parking sensors, traction control, automatic headlights and parking assist are just some of the perks provided.

Parking Assist is a fantastic feature that takes away all the unnecessary frustration of trying to Parallel Park in a tight spot. At the touch of a button, the car gauges the size of the space and the size of the car and, if they're compatible, the car parks itself!

The Passat is also a good option for the safety conscious driver. Rigorous tests have shown that the bodyshell's state-of-the-art, lightweight construction absorbs a majority of the impact in the event of a crash, minimising damage to the passenger compartment, while protection zones at the front of the vehicle significantly reduce the risk of injury to cyclists and pedestrians. With a full curtain airbag system, driver and front passenger seat airbags, front seat side impact airbags and driver's and front passenger's whiplash-optimised head restraints providing additional protection, it means you can remain calm and relaxed as you drive.

Although the exterior boasts a sleek and elegant appearance, and the interior is designed with luxury in mind, what's under the bonnet counts too and there are definitely some pleasant surprises. Even the entry-level engine, the 1.8 litre TSI 160 PS, will convince you of the power this car can produce. With a maximum torque of 250Nm at just 1,500rpm - and an extremely low fuel consumption, the Passat is on top form.

The gear changes are smooth and barely even audible because the engine is so quiet, at one point I actually had to put the window down because I was worried the engine wasn't running when I turned the car on!

All this and for a great price too - check out the special BD10,299 offer from Volkswagen, including five years extended warranty, three years free service and three years 24hour road assist.

For more information or to book a test drive contact the Volkswagen showroom on 17459977.