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European VW Passat Sedan Reportedly Axed, Sources Say Only Wagon Will Survive

A few days ago, Volkswagen confirmed the death of the Passat for North America. None other than head honcho Ralf Brandstatter broke the news, but the German automaker may not stop here according to sources familiar with the product plan.
Volkswagen Passat sedan for Europe 38 photos
Photo: Volkswagen
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Speaking to Automotive News, the sources claim that Volkswagen is going to pull the plug on the Passat in Europe as well. Only the sedan would be discontinued in 2023, leaving the wagon to soldier on alone. It’s not clear if the tipsters refer to the Variant, the high-riding Alltrack, or both versions.

I’m a bit lost for words, frankly. This nameplate leads the European mid-size segment of passenger cars in terms of sales with a volume of 88,478 units through October 2020. The closest competitor in this class also comes from the Volkswagen Group in the guise of the Skoda Superb, which posted sales of 47,889 units.

According to Automotive News, Volkswagen intends to drop the sedan body style of the Passat in order to “reduce internal competition." Reading between the lines, the higher-ups want the Skoda Superb to take the sales crown from 2023 onward.

Initially planned to be manufactured in Turkey, the next generation of the Passat will actually be made in Slovakia at the Bratislava plant where the Superb will also be moved from the Czech plant in Kvasiny. The site in Emden, Germany where the Passat is currently produced will switch exclusively to EVs in the near future.

If you intend to purchase a Passat today, bear in mind the most affordable specification is available to order from 30,258 euros in the German automaker's domestic market. The Variant wagon is available from 31,335 euros, and the Alltrack mentioned earlier is on the expensive side of longroofs at 48,627 euros.

The sedan and the Variant are also available with a plug-in hybrid option – the GTE – that cranks out 218 PS (215 horsepower) and 400 Nm (295 pound-feet) of torque in total.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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