2021 Volkswagen Passat
midsize car / 4-door sedan
Small overlap front: driver-side
Rating applies to 2016-22 models
Tested vehicle: 2016 Volkswagen Passat 1.8T S 4-door
The Volkswagen Passat was redesigned for the 2012 model year. Beginning with 2013 models built after October 2012, the side curtain airbags were reprogrammed to deploy in small overlap frontal crashes to improve occupant protection. Beginning with 2016 models, the A-pillars and door sills were strengthened and the side curtain airbags were lengthened to further improve such protection.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Chest | |
| Hip/thigh | |
| Lower leg/foot | |
|
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
The dummy’s head barely contacted the frontal airbag before sliding off the left side, leaving the head vulnerable to contact with forward structure. Additionally, the seat belt allowed excessive forward excursion of the dummy’s head and torso to the extent the head hit the steering wheel rim. The side curtain airbag deployed and has sufficient forward coverage to protect the head from contact with side structure and outside objects. |
Action shot taken during the driver-side small overlap frontal crash test.
The dummy's position in relation to the door frame, steering wheel, and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained well.
During the crash, the dummy's head barely contacted the frontal airbag before sliding off to the left, and the seat belt allowed far too much forward movement of the dummy.
The driver's space was maintained well, and risk of injuries to the dummy's legs and feet was low.
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Test ID | CEN1533 |
|---|---|
| Lower occupant compartment | |
| Lower hinge pillar max (cm) | 10 |
| Footrest (cm) | 6 |
| Left toepan (cm) | 3 |
| Brake pedal (cm) | 4 |
| Parking brake (cm) | |
| Rocker panel lateral average (cm) | 3 |
| Upper occupant compartment | |
| Steering column | 3 |
| Upper hinge pillar max (cm) | 3 |
| Upper dash (cm) | 6 |
| Lower instrument panel (cm) | 6 |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | CEN1533 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 234 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | 31 |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 1.9 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 20 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.34 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 19 |
| Femur (kN) | |
| Left | 1.2 |
| Right | 0.3 |
| Knee displacement (mm) | |
| Left | 0 |
| Right | 0 |
| Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%) | |
| Left | 0 |
| Right | 0 |
| Maximum tibia index | |
| Left | 0.39 |
| Right | 0.46 |
| Tibia axial force (kN) | |
| Left | 1.8 |
| Right | 0.6 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | |
| Left | 69 |
| Right | 79 |
Small overlap front: passenger-side
Rating applies to 2020-22 models
Tested vehicle: 2020 Volkswagen Passat 2.0T S 4-door
The Volkswagen Passat was redesigned for the 2012 model year. Beginning with 2016 models, the A-pillars and door sills were strengthened and the side curtain airbags were lengthened to improve occupant protection in small overlap frontal crashes. Beginning with 2020 models, the front-end structure, passenger frontal airbag, and front seat belts were modified to further improve protection in passenger-side small overlap crashes.
Passenger-side small overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Volkswagen.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Passenger injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Chest | |
| Hip/thigh | |
| Lower leg/foot | |
|
Passenger restraints and dummy kinematics
The dummy’s head contacted the right side of the frontal airbag but began to slide to the right into the gap between the frontal and side curtain airbags, leaving the head vulnerable to contact with forward structure. The side curtain airbag deployed and has sufficient forward coverage to protect the head from contact with side structure and outside objects. | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Chest | |
| Hip/thigh | |
| Lower leg/foot | |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics |
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on passenger side
| Test ID | VTP1921 |
|---|---|
| Lower occupant compartment | |
| Lower hinge pillar max (cm) | 11 |
| Footrest (cm) | 9 |
| Right toepan (cm) | 7 |
| Center toepan (cm) | 6 |
| Rocker panel lateral average (cm) | 1 |
| Upper occupant compartment | |
| Center dash (cm) | 3 |
| Upper hinge pillar max (cm) | 4 |
| Upper dash (cm) | 7 |
| Right lower dash (cm) | 8 |
Passenger injury measures
| Test ID | VTP1921 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 237 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 1.2 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 12 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.22 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 23 |
| Femur (kN) | |
| Left | 1.0 |
| Right | 1.6 |
| Knee displacement (mm) | |
| Left | 0 |
| Right | 0 |
| Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%) | |
| Left | 0 |
| Right | 0 |
| Maximum tibia index | |
| Left | 0.36 |
| Right | 0.40 |
| Tibia axial force (kN) | |
| Left | 1.6 |
| Right | 2.4 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | |
| Left | 63 |
| Right | 69 |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | VTP1921 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 105 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 1.0 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 11 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.16 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 24 |
| Femur (kN) | |
| Left | 0.1 |
| Right | 1.1 |
| Knee displacement (mm) | |
| Left | 0 |
| Right | 1 |
| Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%) | |
| Left | 0 |
| Right | 0 |
| Maximum tibia index | |
| Left | 0.57 |
| Right | 0.40 |
| Tibia axial force (kN) | |
| Left | 1.0 |
| Right | 3.0 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | |
| Left | 41 |
| Right | 65 |
Moderate overlap front: original test
Rating applies to 2012-22 models
Tested vehicle: 2012 Volkswagen Passat S 4-door
The Volkswagen Passat was redesigned for the 2012 model year. Moderate overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Volkswagen.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Chest | |
| Leg/foot, left | |
| Leg/foot, right | |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics |
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Test ID | VTF1104 |
|---|---|
| Footwell intrusion | |
| Footrest (cm) | 3 |
| Left (cm) | 7 |
| Center (cm) | 6 |
| Right (cm) | 6 |
| Brake pedal (cm) | 4 |
| Instrument panel rearward movement | |
| Left (cm) | 0 |
| Right (cm) | 0 |
| Steering column movement | |
| Upward (cm) | -5 |
| Rearward (cm) | -3 |
| A-pillar rearward movement (cm) | 0 |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | VTF1104 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 167 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | 34 |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 1.1 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 12 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.24 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 34 |
| Legs | |
| Femur force - left (kN) | 0.3 |
| Femur force - right (kN) | 0.8 |
| Knee displacement - left (mm) | 0 |
| Knee displacement - right (mm) | 0 |
| Maximum tibia index - left | 0.33 |
| Maximum tibia index - right | 0.71 |
| Tibia axial force - left (kN) | 2.7 |
| Tibia axial force - right (kN) | 1.7 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | |
| Left | 86 |
| Right | 134 |
Side: original test
Rating applies to 2012-22 models
Tested vehicle: 2012 Volkswagen Passat S 4-door with standard front and rear head curtain airbags and standard front seat-mounted torso airbags
The Volkswagen Passat was redesigned for the 2012 model year. Side ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Volkswagen.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Torso | |
| Pelvis/leg | |
| Driver head protection | |
| Rear passenger injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Torso | |
| Pelvis/leg | |
| Rear passenger head protection | |
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Test ID | VTS1104 |
|---|---|
| B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) | -16.5 |
| Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline. | |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | VTS1104 |
|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 413 |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 1.0 |
| Compression (kN) | 0.0 |
| Shoulder | |
| Lateral deflection (mm) | 32 |
| Lateral force (kN) | 1.6 |
| Torso | |
| Maximum deflection (mm) | 36 |
| Average deflection (mm) | 33 |
| Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 3.00 |
| Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.50 |
| Pelvis | |
| Iliac force (kN) | 2.4 |
| Acetabulum force (kN) | 1.7 |
| Combined force (kN) | 4.0 |
| Left femur | |
| L-M force (kN) | 1.3 |
| L-M moment (Nm) | 56 |
| A-P moment (Nm) | 149 |
Passenger injury measures
| Test ID | VTS1104 |
|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 127 |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 0.3 |
| Compression (kN) | 1.1 |
| Shoulder | |
| Lateral deflection (mm) | 27 |
| Lateral force (kN) | 1.3 |
| Torso | |
| Maximum deflection (mm) | 30 |
| Average deflection (mm) | 27 |
| Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 3.78 |
| Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.47 |
| Pelvis | |
| Iliac force (kN) | 0.4 |
| Acetabulum force (kN) | 1.6 |
| Combined force (kN) | 1.6 |
| Left femur | |
| L-M force (kN) | 2.0 |
| L-M moment (Nm) | 189 |
| A-P moment (Nm) | 46 |
Roof strength
Rating applies to 2012-22 models
Tested vehicle: 2012 Volkswagen Passat SE 4-door
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Curb weight | 3,256 lbs |
| Peak force | 20,592 lbs |
| Strength-to-weight ratio | 6.32 |
Head restraints & seats
Seat type: Power leather seats
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Dynamic rating | |
| Seat/head restraint geometry |
| Seat type | Power leather seats |
|---|---|
| Geometry | |
| Backset (mm) | 24 |
| Distance below top of head (mm) | 20 |
| Seat design parameters | |
| Pass/fail | Pass |
| Max T1 acceleration (g) | 12.6 |
| Head contact time (ms) | 60 |
| Force rating | 1 |
| Neck forces | |
| Max neck shear force (N) | 19 |
| Max neck tension (N) | 548 |
About the head restraint & seat test
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.
Headlights
Ratings are given for 2 different headlight variations available on this vehicle.
Trim level(s)
- SEL trim
| Low-beam headlight type | LED projector |
|---|---|
| High-beam headlight type | LED reflector |
| Curve-adaptive? | Yes |
| High-beam assist? | Yes |
|
Overall rating | |
| Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination: | |
Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was good on the gradual right curve and fair on the sharp right and both left curves.
The low beams never exceeded glare limits.
High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was fair in all 4 tests.
High-beam assist compensates for some limitations of this vehicle's low beams on the straightaway, on both left curves and on both right curves.
| Trim level(s) |
|
|---|---|
| Low-beam headlight type | LED projector |
| High-beam headlight type | LED reflector |
| Curve-adaptive? | Yes |
| High-beam assist? | Yes |
|
Overall rating Applies to 2020-22 models |
| LOW BEAMS | Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux) |
Amount glare exceeded threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Straightaway right edge | 97.0 m | None |
| Straightaway left edge | 64.4 m | None |
| 250m radius right curve, right edge | 66.6 m | None |
| 250m radius left curve, left edge | 62.7 m | None |
| 150m radius right curve, right edge | 52.7 m | None |
| 150m radius left curve, left edge | 50.0 m | None |
| HIGH BEAMS | Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux) |
|---|---|
| Straightaway right edge | 158.5 m |
| Straightaway left edge | 169.7 m |
| 250m radius right curve, right edge | 71.2 m |
| 250m radius left curve, left edge | 70.9 m |
| 150m radius right curve, right edge | 56.9 m |
| 150m radius left curve, left edge | 55.3 m |
Trim level(s)
- S trim
- SE trim
- R-Line trim
| Low-beam headlight type | LED projector |
|---|---|
| High-beam headlight type | LED projector |
| Curve-adaptive? | No |
| High-beam assist? | No |
|
Overall rating | |
| Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination: | |
Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was fair on the gradual left and both right curves and inadequate on the sharp left curve.
The low beams never exceeded glare limits.
High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was inadequate on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was inadequate in all 4 tests.
| Trim level(s) |
|
|---|---|
| Low-beam headlight type | LED projector |
| High-beam headlight type | LED projector |
| Curve-adaptive? | No |
| High-beam assist? | No |
|
Overall rating Applies to 2020-22 models |
| LOW BEAMS | Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux) |
Amount glare exceeded threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Straightaway right edge | 95.0 m | None |
| Straightaway left edge | 67.6 m | None |
| 250m radius right curve, right edge | 61.6 m | None |
| 250m radius left curve, left edge | 56.0 m | None |
| 150m radius right curve, right edge | 49.3 m | None |
| 150m radius left curve, left edge | 44.4 m | None |
| HIGH BEAMS | Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux) |
|---|---|
| Straightaway right edge | 99.0 m |
| Straightaway left edge | 71.1 m |
| 250m radius right curve, right edge | 61.3 m |
| 250m radius left curve, left edge | 56.3 m |
| 150m radius right curve, right edge | 49.0 m |
| 150m radius left curve, left edge | 45.9 m |
Child seat anchors
Rating applies to 2015-22 models
| Overall evaluation | |
| Vehicle trim | SE |
| Seat type | leatherette |
This vehicle has 2 rear seating positions with complete child seat attachment (LATCH) hardware.
It has 1 additional seating position with a tether anchor only.
| Overall evaluation | |
| Vehicle trim | SE |
| Seat type | leatherette |
| G | Good |
| A | Acceptable |
| M | Marginal |
| P | Poor |
| Seating positions that rely on borrowed lower anchors or have only a tether anchor available are not rated. | |
thether anchor symbol | Tether anchor |
lower anchor symbol | Lower anchors |
| Lower anchor(s) can be borrowed from adjacent positions(s) | |
| No hardware available |
Details by seating position
| 1 | |
|---|---|
| Tether anchor | |
| easy-to-find location | |
| no other hardware could be confused for anchor | |
| Lower anchors | |
| not too deep in seat | |
| not too much force needed to attach | |
| easy to maneuver around anchors | |
| 2 | |
| Tether anchor | |
| easy-to-find location | |
| no other hardware could be confused for anchor | |
| Lower anchors | |
| none available | |
| 3 | |
| Tether anchor | |
| easy-to-find location | |
| no other hardware could be confused for anchor | |
| Lower anchors | |
| not too deep in seat | |
| not too much force needed to attach | |
| easy to maneuver around anchors |
Seat position 21
| Lower anchor A | |
|---|---|
| Open access rated | No |
| Depth (cm) | 0-2 |
| Force (lbs) | 16 |
| Clearance angle (degrees) | 71 |
| Lower anchor B | |
| Open access rated | No |
| Depth (cm) | 0-2 |
| Force (lbs) | 17 |
| Clearance angle (degrees) | 74 |
| Tether anchor | |
| Location | Rear deck |
| Confusing hardware present | No |
| Has contrasting label within 3 inches of tether anchor |
No |
| Tether anchors can be accessed while seatback is properly positioned for use of LATCH |
Not measured |
Seat position 22
| Lower anchor A | |
|---|---|
| No lower latch for this seat position | |
| Lower anchor B | |
| No lower latch for this seat position | |
| Tether anchor | |
| Location | Rear deck |
| Confusing hardware present | No |
| Has contrasting label within 3 inches of tether anchor |
No |
| Tether anchors can be accessed while seatback is properly positioned for use of LATCH |
Not measured |
Seat position 23
| Lower anchor A | |
|---|---|
| Open access rated | No |
| Depth (cm) | 0-2 |
| Force (lbs) | 15 |
| Clearance angle (degrees) | 76 |
| Lower anchor B | |
| Open access rated | No |
| Depth (cm) | 0-2 |
| Force (lbs) | 14 |
| Clearance angle (degrees) | 73 |
| Tether anchor | |
| Location | Rear deck |
| Confusing hardware present | No |
| Has contrasting label within 3 inches of tether anchor |
No |
| Tether anchors can be accessed while seatback is properly positioned for use of LATCH |
Not measured |