Under the hood, a replacement for the VR6 engine will be in place, putting out close to 300hp (224kW) from a displacement of 3.0L. To improve mileage and maintain power, the new engine will also be using direct injection, while the rest of the powertrain lineup is expected to benefit from some form of forced induction as well. Other models will include a new hybrid as well as a high-performance diesel with AWD.
To give the Passat some much needed panache, VW will be pulling out all the stops to make the next-generation a technological showcase, with features that should have the traditional German manufacturers feeling a little worried.
Expected to debut in late 2011 as a 2012 model, the next-generation Passat is tipped to feature a host of new technologies, including airless tires, a wiperless window cleaning system, and an advanced user interface. There may also be an electronic stability system with a feature that automatically offers counter-steering assistance in adverse driving conditions.
One year after the launch of the Passat sedan will be the station wagon. This will be followed closely by a new high-performance model to replace the current R36.
Reader Comments
Wed Jul 16 2008 1:53 PM
Andrey says
it sure does look pretty good and with such a wide range of engines i'm sure VW will be laughin all the way to the bank
Wed Jul 16 2008 2:46 PM
Dane says
how about a Polo???? or the likes....
also.... Get rid of the stupid 'Rabbit' name... What yahoo marketing idiot thought that was cool?????
Wed Jul 16 2008 5:58 PM
james says
those headlights are very cool but i think that this car would be even better with a more radical styling option on the air intake dams. to me, that usually decides the mood of the car (whether it be boring or sporty)
Wed Jul 16 2008 5:59 PM
james says
on second thought, they aren't that bad, i take it back
Wed Jul 16 2008 6:09 PM
S.H. says
IT'S ALREADY ON THE STREETS HERE IN ROMANIA!
Wed Jul 16 2008 10:40 PM
HECTOR says
Is that really the best they can do with the design? Why must the Passat get more boring with each passing generation?
Wed Dec 17 2008 10:38 AM
LandroverCrazy says
Hector said it best :)
Wed Dec 17 2008 2:55 PM
james says
snoresville...
Wed Dec 17 2008 4:12 PM
iluvamericancarz says
they are gettin rid of the rabbit name. i thought vw wanted to make an ultimate midsize sedan that would compete edge to edge with the camry and sonata. they also wanted to replace the passat name
Wed Dec 17 2008 5:44 PM
NoNameDenton says
I want to try the eight speed DSG
Thu Dec 18 2008 6:31 AM
HECTOR says
Also, every time that I hear *this or that VW is being positioned more upmarket to compete with BWM and Audi* I cringe.
Counterproductive: VW already owns Audi. It's sort of like Toyota owning Lexus and trying to compete with it.
Counterintuitive: The Passat competes with the 3 series like I compete with Brad Pitt (not at all)
So instead of making good quality cars that are affordably priced they make expensive crapmobiles in Mexico that break down all the time (My boss has a Passat and I've given him 3 rides to the dealership in one year).
It's a weird marketing ploy but.... whatever...
Thu Dec 25 2008 11:56 AM
iluvamericancarz says
This car is not on sale anywhere. This is just the current car with a different front fascia.
not impressive Motorauthority.
Tue Feb 10 2009 6:56 PM
NoNameDenton says
"New Passat will be positioned more upmarket in order to compete with the likes of BMW’s 3-Series and the Audi A4" VW wants to compete with the Audi A4? I am confused since they have the same owners, but whatever makes them happy, and good luck trying to knock off the 3 series.
Tue Feb 10 2009 8:07 PM
NaBUru38 says
That upmarket talk is one of the oldest lies one can hear from a mainstream carmaker. The Passat will be bigger, roomier, cheaper and less powerful than the A4/C-Class/3-Series trio as usual. Trivial proof: the Passat must be uglier, less upmarket and roomier than the Passat CC or however it's called. The same applies for the Passat CC in comparison to the German compact exec trio. Apply transitive, q.e.d.
The frond headlights from the rendering look stolen from the Civic, and the hood looks too flat for EuroNCAP. I believe that the Passat will look rounder than this.
Thu Mar 26 2009 2:28 AM
gazzed says
Very nice aggressive stance and so much better looking than any of the new Mercs and BMW's.
Thu Mar 26 2009 7:57 AM
NC2010 says
Always confused by those who think VW should not have model and feature offerings in the upper spec/price ranges. Why should their model line be restricted? Unfortunately, the VW product management for the USA market seem confused too. They have started stripping out most of the premium options from the USA product, and restricting availability of colors and features available in most other markets. The USA GTI (and 2008 R32) are available with only one interior color choice, for example! What's next, VW's sold at Wal*Mart?
1
Thu Mar 26 2009 10:17 AM
NoNameDenton says
Quote:
Always confused by those who think VW should not have model and feature offerings in the upper spec/price ranges. Why should their model line be restricted? Unfortunately, the VW product management for the USA market seem confused too. They have started stripping out most of the premium options from the USA product, and restricting availability of colors and features available in most other markets. The USA GTI (and 2008 R32) are available with only one interior color choice, for example! What's next, VW's sold at Wal*Mart
1
Maybe because VW has Lambo, Porsche, Bugatti, and Audi to do upscale and high powered exotics
Thu Mar 26 2009 10:40 AM
PAJ says
Does VW hate the Audi division or something? I've never seen a company so hell bent on cannibalizing its most profitable division. Makes no sense.
In the U.S., VW should focus its brands on Toyota, Honda, Chevy, Ford, Nissan all of which out sell VW by huge amounts.
Thu Mar 26 2009 10:49 AM
Mike says
I still don't see the point of having the regular Passat and the Passat CC; the CC is such a better looking car, and doesn't it already fill the "upmarket midsize sedan" niche for VW?
Thu Mar 26 2009 1:39 PM
NaBUru38 says
Mike, the plus side of the regular Passat is its rear seat room. I've read that the Passat CC's one is terrible, just like what happens with the E-Class and CLS-Class. And the Passat CC couldn't be offered with a wagon bodystyle.
Thu Mar 26 2009 2:22 PM
NC2010 says
[QUOTE]Maybe because VW has Lambo, Porsche, Bugatti, and Audi to do upscale and high powered exotics[/QUOTE]
I have owned a number of Audi, have a new A3 in the family, and dearly love my 911, but, quite frankly, when it comes to the look and the feel of a car I want to drive every day and draws a smile as I walk up to it, it's my 10 year old GTI-GLX. The Audi A3 has everything I want in a car, but the appearance and the stance. The 4 door Mk5 or Mk6 GTI just blows it away.
Fri Mar 27 2009 3:41 PM
GNAGEL says
An audi with Volkswagen looks and opel rims. Funny
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