More years ago than I care to remember, I suffered a similar problem with a new car.
But I very quickly realised the reason my new car appeared to stop so quickly � it had servo ABS brakes (with discs all round), whereas my old car had spongy non-assisted braking.
It took some time for me to adjust to the light touch, required for progressive braking on my new car.
While this might not be the reason that your daughter thinks the brakes are very sharp on her Passat � it is worth considering.