If the crash-test results of the 2006 Volkswagen Passat’s little brother, the Jetta, are any indication, this should prove to be one safe midsize sedan. Equipped with standard dual front, front side-impact, and individual side-curtain airbags for the front and rear passengers, VW is making sure every Passat offers equal levels of passenger protection. Side-impact airbags for the rear seat are a $350 option, and they aren’t standard because people who carry small children in back might not wish to have them in the car.

In addition to multiple airbags, every 2006 Volkswagen Passat includes crash-active front head restraints that help reduce whiplash in rear-impact collisions, crash-optimized foot pedals that descend in a front crash to save leg and foot injuries, and three-point seatbelts with automatic locking retractors at all five seating positions – the fronts include pre-tensioners, too. Daytime running lights are also standard, along with a tire pressure monitoring system that includes sensors for each individual wheel. Volkswagen even placed the ignition slot on the dashboard rather than the steering column to reduce knee injuries in collisions.

Brake system enhancements include an Auto-Hold feature that will keep the Passat stopped until the driver steps on the accelerator, even when sitting on a hill. Another safety feature on the new Passat is an optional bi-xenon headlight system with an Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFS) that turns the headlights up to 35 degrees in the direction you’re steering to help see around corners. LED taillights illuminate faster, and fade rather than completely burn out. The optional park assist system features sensors front and rear, helpful for parking but also for identifying when an unseen object, like a child, is in the Passat’s path.

Of course, the 2006 Volkswagen Passat is offered with an automatic dual-zone climate control system, dubbed Climatronic, as well as a DVD navigation system. But the Dynaudio sound system is the technology piece worth mentioning. Dynaudio is a Danish loudspeaker company that has been making premium audio components for nearly 30 years, and distinguishes itself by designing, developing, and building every component of every speaker in-house. Volkswagen engineers chose Dynaudio for its “maniacal dedication to true sound.” Specifically designed for the 2006 Volkswagen Passat, this $1,000 optional system features 600 watts of continuouspower and 10 loudspeakers, and is offered only on every model except the Value Edition. Based on our admittedly undiscerning ears, the Dynaudio system is worth $1,000. It sounds terrific, able to reproduce everything from Beethoven to Biggie in crystal clear sound, even at eardrum-splitting volume levels.

For now, features like adaptive cruise control and Bluetooth wireless communications are reserved for Europe, but the latter is expected in U.S.-spec Passats by the 2007 model year.