Volkswagen has unveiled the all-new Passat at a ceremony at the Volkswagen Design Centre in Potsdam, Germany. The latest car, which will receive its public premiere at the Paris Motor Show in October, is the eighth-generation of the Passat, which over the past 41 years has racked up over 23 million sales worldwide.
Everything in this car is new: its design, technologies and engines. The Passat sets new standards with an unladen weight that has been reduced by up to 85 kg and fuel economy figures that have been improved by up to 20 per cent. For the first time, there will also be a Passat with a plug-in hybrid drive system. In its design and in the advanced features it offers, the new Passat bridges the gap between the upper medium and premium class.
At 4,767 mm long, the saloon is two millimetres shorter than the previous model, while the wheelbase is 79 mm longer at 2,791 mm and therefore the body overhangs significantly shorter. At the same time, the Passat is 14 mm lower at 1,456 mm, and 12 mm wider at 1,832 mm.
Because of the optimised engine orientation, it was possible to lower significantly the bonnet and shift the windscreen towards the rear. This ‘cab backward design’ helps to create the impression of a premium-class car. Extremely precisely drawn edges and creases which develop individual light-reflecting surfaces help to continue this impression. At the front, the new Passat’s radiator grille features four chrome bars which bend inward towards the headlights in a trapezoidal shape. The lowermost chrome bar of the grille is continued into the headlights.
Immediately noticeable at the rear is that the cab has a strong inward sweep, and at the bottom it transitions into the wide, flared shoulder section. The rear lights have been made considerably wider and leaner. In this area, the Saloon looks like a young sibling of the Phaeton with its large bootlid surface, and a distinctive crease beneath the rear lights that extends across the rear.
All models of Passat have LED rear lights, while the higher-specification versions feature a distinctive horizontal tail light signature that switches over to a vertically oriented brake light signature under braking. Headlights are halogen or LED. In conjunction with Dynamic Light Assist, one of the two LED headlight options automatically adjusts the beam for maximum illumination of the road without dazzling other traffic.
Despite exterior dimensions that are actually marginally smaller than those of the previous Passat, interior space is improved, with more leg- and head-room, as well as increased luggage space.
The interior has been developed to match the sophisticated exterior of the eighth-generation Passat. New technologies to be offered on the new Passat include the optional Active Info Display, which replaces the instrument cluster with a fully configurable interactive 12.3-inch TFT display; a heads-up display; the latest Modular Infotainment System, including the Car-Net remote app; a further-developed 360-degree Area View function; and the latest generation of Park Assist. This newly developed Park Assist includes the option for the car to park itself forwards into perpendicular spaces – useful, for example at supermarket car parks, where access to the boot is important. It also includes a world-first Trailer Assist system, which provides assistance when reversing a vehicle with a trailer attached – without the need for any modification or adaptation of the trailer.
Safety technology includes Side Assist with Rear Traffic Alert; Traffic Jam Assist which makes stop-and-go driving more comfortable; Emergency Assist, which can potentially halt a vehicle when the driver is incapacitated; and the latest Front Assist system with City Emergency Braking, which optionally combines both radar and camera sensors to add pedestrian detection.
A highlight of the Passat’s new range of engines is a high-performance, four-cylinder, 2.0-litre, bi-turbo diesel delivering 240 PS and an extraordinary 500 Nm from 1,750 rpm. This engine will be available only with a new seven-speed DSG gearbox and 4MOTION all-wheel drive. A plug-in hybrid model will also be offered, with potential to travel 31 miles on battery power alone, and with a maximum range of around 600 miles.
Further details and UK pricing are expected to be announced at the time of the Paris Motor Show in October. UK sales will start before the end of the year, with first deliveries expected in early 2015.
EU PRICING ANNOUNCED FOR ALL-NEW, HIGH TECH VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT
Volkswagen Retailers in the UK will begin taking orders for the eighth generation Passat saloon and Estate models on 7 October, ahead of first UK deliveries in January, with prices starting from £22,215 (RRP OTR) for the entry-level saloon (see below for full details).
This all-new car brings a host of new technologies, comfort and convenience features and efficient engines to the Passat class, while its design, quality and style allow it to compete with premium rivals, at a competitive price.
Although the new car has a longer wheelbase than its predecessor and more interior space, it is up to 85 kg lighter, while EU6-compliant, more efficient engines mean fuel savings and carbon dioxide emissions reductions of up to 14 per cent.
Only diesel engines will be offered in the UK at launch, ranging in power from a 1.6-litre 120 PS, through two 2.0-litre units with 150 or 190 PS, to a range-topping 2.0-litre bi-turbo with 240 PS, DSG gearbox and 4MOTION four-wheel drive. A plug-in hybrid GTE version with a 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine and electric motor will follow in October 2015.
At launch, five trim levels will be offered: S, SE, SE Business, GT and R-Line. All will offer a high level of standard features with highlights including Post-Collision Braking System and mis-fuelling prevention on all; Front Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Pre-Crash system, Driver Profile Selection, Ergo Comfort seats and front and rear parking sensors on SE and above; and Discover Navigation on the SE Business which is aimed at fleet drivers. Luxurious heated Alcantara seats, three-zone climate control and 18-inch wheels are standard on GT, while the range-topping R-Line adds a host of bespoke design features.
A frugal BlueMotion with a 1.6-litre engine returning 78 mpg and just 95 g/km of CO2 will join the range in June 2015, while an Alltrack version of the Estate is due in July.
A number of new optional features will also be available including:
- Car-Net “Guide and Inform”: in-car connection to the internet via a smartphone Wi-fi hotspot, allowing key information such as online traffic data, news and weather to be accessed via the Passat’s colour touchscreen infotainment system.
- Predictive Pedestrian Protection: a radar behind the rear-view mirror scans the area in front of the Passat and detects pedestrians, exercising a full emergency stop if there is no braking intervention from the driver.
- Traffic Jam Assist: brakes, accelerates and steers automatically, easing the strain during stop-and-go traffic.
- Emergency Assist: helps keep the car in the lane and brakes automatically to a full stop if there is a medical emergency situation.
- Trailer Assist: helps to manoeuvre trailers with ease as the system automatically steers with precision. The driver is only required to accelerate and brake.
Later in 2015 innovations such as an Active Info Display, which replaces the traditional instrument cluster with a fully configurable interactive 12.3-inch TFT display, and a head up display will also become available.
This is the eighth generation of Passat, of which nearly 22 million units have been sold since launch in 1973. For more details visit your nearest Volkswagen Retailer or go to www.volkswagen.co.uk.
New Passat pricing (saloon)
| Saloon | Trim | Engine | CO2 (g/km TBC) |
Price (RRP OTR) |
| S | 1.6 TDI 120 PS 6 speed manual | 106 | £ 22,215.00 | |
| S | 1.6 TDI 120 PS 7 speed DSG | 103 | £ 23,815.00 | |
| S | 2.0 TDI 150PS 6 speed manual | 106 | £ 23,340.00 | |
| S | 2.0 TDI 150PS 6 speed DSG | 118 | £ 24,940.00 | |
| SE | 1.6 TDI 120 PS 6 speed manual | 106 | £ 23,310.00 | |
| SE | 1.6 TDI 120 PS 7 speed DSG | 103 | £ 24,910.00 | |
| SE | 2.0 TDI 150 PS 6 speed manual | 106 | £ 24,435.00 | |
| SE | 2.0 TDI 150 PS 6 speed DSG | 118 | £ 26,035.00 | |
| SE Business | 1.6 TDI 120 PS 6 speed manual | 106 | £ 24,010.00 | |
| SE Business | 1.6 TDI 120 PS 7 speed DSG | 103 | £ 25,610.00 | |
| SE Business | 2.0 TDI 150 PS 6 speed manual | 106 | £ 25,135.00 | |
| SE Business | 2.0 TDI 150 PS 6 speed DSG | 118 | £ 26,735.00 | |
| GT | 1.6 TDI 120 PS 6 speed manual | 107 | £ 25,305.00 | |
| GT | 1.6 TDI 120 PS 7 speed DSG | 104 | £ 26,905.00 | |
| GT | 2.0 TDI 150 PS 6 speed manual | 109 | £ 26,430.00 | |
| GT | 2.0 TDI 150 PS 6 speed DSG | 119 | £ 28,030.00 | |
| GT | 2.0 TDI SCR 190 PS 6 speed manual | 107 | £ 27,780.00 | |
| GT | 2.0 TDI SCR 190 PS 6 speed DSG | 119 | £ 29,380.00 | |
| GT | 2.0 BiTDI SCR 240 PS 6 speed DSG | 139 | £ 34,510.00 | |
| R-Line | 2.0 TDI 150 PS 6 speed manual | 109 | £ 27,425.00 | |
| R-Line | 2.0 TDI 150 PS 6 speed DSG | 119 | £ 29,025.00 | |
| R-Line | 2.0 TDI 190 PS 6 speed manual | 107 | £ 28,775.00 | |
| R-Line | 2.0 TDI 190 PS 6 speed DSG | 119 | £ 30,375.00 | |
| R-Line | 2.0 BiTDI SCR 240 PS 7 speed DSG | 139 | £ 35,505.00 |
New Passat Estate pricing
| Estate | Trim | Engine | CO2 (g/km, TBC) |
Price (RRP OTR) |
| S | 1.6 TDI 120 PS 6 speed manual | 108 | £ 23,745.00 | |
| S | 1.6 TDI 120 PS 7 speed DSG | 104 | £ 25,345.00 | |
| S | 2.0 TDI 150PS 6 speed manual | 107 | £ 24,870.00 | |
| S | 2.0 TDI 150PS 6 speed DSG | 119 | £ 26,470.00 | |
| SE | 1.6 TDI 120 PS 6 speed manual | 108 | £ 24,840.00 | |
| SE | 1.6 TDI 120 PS 7 speed DSG | 104 | £ 26,440.00 | |
| SE | 2.0 TDI 150 PS 6 speed manual | 107 | £ 25,965.00 | |
| SE | 2.0 TDI 150 PS 6 speed DSG | 119 | £ 27,565.00 | |
| SE Business | 1.6 TDI 120 PS 6 speed manual | 108 | £ 25,540.00 | |
| SE Business | 1.6 TDI 120 PS 7 speed DSG | 104 | £ 27,140.00 | |
| SE Business | 2.0 TDI 150 PS 6 speed manual | 107 | £ 26,665.00 | |
| SE Business | 2.0 TDI 150 PS 6 speed DSG | 119 | £ 28,265.00 | |
| GT | 1.6 TDI 120 PS 6 speed manual | 109 | £ 26,835.00 | |
| GT | 1.6 TDI 120 PS 7 speed DSG | 105 | £ 28,435.00 | |
| GT | 2.0 TDI 150 PS 6 speed manual | 110 | £ 27,960.00 | |
| GT | 2.0 TDI 150 PS 6 speed DSG | 122 | £ 29,560.00 | |
| GT | 2.0 TDI SCR 190 PS 6 speed manual | 110 | £ 29,310.00 | |
| GT | 2.0 TDI SCR 190 PS 6 speed DSG | 120 | £ 30,910.00 | |
| GT | 2.0 BiTDI SCR 240 PS 6 speed DSG | 140 | £ 36,040.00 | |
| R-Line | 2.0 TDI 150 PS 6 speed manual | 110 | £ 28,955.00 | |
| R-Line | 2.0 TDI 150 PS 6 speed DSG | 122 | £ 30,555.00 | |
| R-Line | 2.0 TDI 190 PS 6 speed manual | 110 | £ 30,305.00 | |
| R-Line | 2.0 TDI 190 PS 6 speed DSG | 120 | £ 31,905.00 | |
| R-Line | 2.0 BiTDI SCR 240 PS 7 speed DSG | 140 | £ 37,035.00 |