The new generation Passat won’t be based on MQB platform and it will retain the current engines with an all-new design theme
Volkswagen is planning to introduce the new generation of Passat at the North American International Motor Show on January 13. The company has released the first teaser of new Passat and it confirms that the design will be completely different from the current model as the dull theme has been replaced by a sporty and aggressive design.
The front gets a new grille, which extends to big headlamps and it will come with LED lights. The designers have integrated the LED DRLs into the headlamp cluster. The company has given an aggressive design for the bumper and the roofline is flat, which will help the Passat to offer excellent headroom for both front and rear passengers.
The designers have also given new character lines to make the side look sporty. The rear is completely new as the Passat took inspiration from Arteon and the tail lamp design looks really good. The rear bumper also gets a similar aggressive treatment like the front and it could come with dual exhaust.
Volkswagen didn’t release any details about the interior but we can expect the dashboard to continue the same design theme as other models. Earlier reports confirmed that the Passat will come with 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The sedan might also get all-digital instrument cluster also.
The Passat will be loaded with lots of features and we can expect some advanced braking technologies to be featured. But the disappointing part is that Volkswagen won’t shift the Passat from the current platform to advanced MQB, this also confirms that the new generation of Passat won’t come with all-wheel drive system also.
One of the reasons for not shifting to a new platform as that development will be too high and sales won’t justify this investment. The Passat will be powered by a 2.0 L four-cylinder engine with 176 PS and 280 Nm, mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox and the new model won’t come with a V6 engine. We can expect the new Passat to be introduced in India by 2020.