Tested: 1993 Volkswagen Passat GLX Photos
From the Archive: You'd never guess it by the GLX's subdued appearance, but VW's VR6 engine transformed a sleepy sedan into a back-road runner.
The 1992 Volkswagen Passat GLX built off of the hum-drum regular VW Passat with a slightly firmer suspension setup and a welcome infusion of horsepower, thanks to the fitment of VW's narrow-angle VR6 engine in place of the standard inline-four. A stealthy helping of performance was the result. Read the full story here.
Much like the Taurus SHO, Infiniti Q45, and Saab 9000 Turbo of the era, the 1993 Volkswagen Passat GLX cloaked its performance capabilities in unassuming sedan body work.
In our testing, the Passat GLX could hit 60 mph in a solid-for-the-time 7.7 seconds. Its 15-inch all-season tires were good for 0.82 g of skidpad grip and a 185-foot stop from 70 mph.
Compared to the standard Passat's 134-hp inline-four, the GLX's 2.8-liter V-6 produced a healthy 172 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque.
While the Passat GLX was certainly fun to drive, the shifter for our test car's five-speed manual transmission flopped into gear with an unsatisfying action.
View Photos of the 2024 Kia EV9 Land AWD
View Photos of the 1987 Sterling 825SL
2025 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet Interior Photos
2025 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet Exterior Photos
