Photo: CarPix
In production since 2014 for the 2015 model year, the B8 generation of the Passat will transition to the B8.5 anytime now. On this occasion, the carparazzi caught the facelifted Passat in GTE flavor in Spain, flaunting redesigned lighting, wheels, and the oh-so-familiar charge port door located right next to the VW badge on the front grille.
Look even closer at the prototype, and you will notice how the front bumper is that more aggressive than before. At the rear, meanwhile, Volkswagen appears to hide faux exhaust tips beneath the black-and-white camouflage film. Speaking about things that won’t change, the zero-emission driving mode of the Passat GTE will come at a price.
The current generation in four-door sedan guise starts at €44,250 compared to the entry-level Passat at €31,550. The station wagon is even more expensive, but then again, what did you expect from a mid-size vehicle that can be optioned to more than €65,000 provided that you check every box in the list?
Scheduled to debut at a standalone event by year’s end, the 2019 Volkswagen Passat B8.5 will serve as inspiration for the U.S. model that’s coming in 2019 for the 2020 model year. Even though it will be somewhat different from the European counterpart, the Passat built at Chattanooga alongside the Atlas sport utility vehicle will transition to the MQB (Modularer Querbaukasten) platform.
Elsewhere in the lineup, the GTE will be joined by the R, which is expected to debut an all-new engine for the German automaker. Even though there’s no consensus on displacement, the twin-turbo V6 is believed to develop in the neighborhood of 400 horsepower.
Lower down the spectrum, various versions of the TSI and TDI four-cylinder turbo powerplants will have to make do. On an ending note, don’t forget that the B8.5 has been spied uncamouflaged in China, flaunting Arteon-inspired exterior styling.
And speaking of the Arteon, a shooting brake could happen as a cheaper alternative to the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo. With the twin-turbo V6 mentioned beforehand, the newcomer should prove to be an interesting option in a segment that's been lacking in terms of specialness as of late.
The current generation in four-door sedan guise starts at €44,250 compared to the entry-level Passat at €31,550. The station wagon is even more expensive, but then again, what did you expect from a mid-size vehicle that can be optioned to more than €65,000 provided that you check every box in the list?
Scheduled to debut at a standalone event by year’s end, the 2019 Volkswagen Passat B8.5 will serve as inspiration for the U.S. model that’s coming in 2019 for the 2020 model year. Even though it will be somewhat different from the European counterpart, the Passat built at Chattanooga alongside the Atlas sport utility vehicle will transition to the MQB (Modularer Querbaukasten) platform.
Elsewhere in the lineup, the GTE will be joined by the R, which is expected to debut an all-new engine for the German automaker. Even though there’s no consensus on displacement, the twin-turbo V6 is believed to develop in the neighborhood of 400 horsepower.
Lower down the spectrum, various versions of the TSI and TDI four-cylinder turbo powerplants will have to make do. On an ending note, don’t forget that the B8.5 has been spied uncamouflaged in China, flaunting Arteon-inspired exterior styling.
And speaking of the Arteon, a shooting brake could happen as a cheaper alternative to the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo. With the twin-turbo V6 mentioned beforehand, the newcomer should prove to be an interesting option in a segment that's been lacking in terms of specialness as of late.
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