Photo: CarPix
An unassuming press release titled “best-selling mid-size model in the world” is more than meets the eye. Towards the end of the document, Volkswagen confirmed that “the production preparations for the new Passat are currently taking place behind the scenes at the Emden plant in North Germany.”
Further still, the Wolfsburg-based automaker confirmed the market launch for “the end of January 2019,” and the facelift is described as “the next evolutionary stage” by Volkswagen. Among the list of newities, customers can expect redesigned bumpers and exterior lighting, the 1.5-liter TSI Evo turbo four-cylinder engine with gasoline particulate filter, more active-assist safety features, new infotainment systems, and “a new level of online services.”
Even though we live in a world where speed is everything thanks to the Internet, it would’ve been better if Volkswagen were to tone down the online jibber-jabber. The purpose of a car is to get the driver and passenger from point A to point B as fast, comfortable, and safely as possible, not to surf the web while doing 200 km/h on the Autobahn.
Since its introduction in 1973, the Passat went on to be sold on every continent of the world. And in the past 45 years, Volkswagen managed to sell “more than 29 million” examples of the breed, making it the second-best selling nameplate after the Golf (35 million). The Beetle ranks third on the list, totaling 21.5 million units of the air-cooled mechanical marvel.
Volkswagen expects the Passat to break the 30-millionth threshold sometime in 2019, but that’s not all! As we wait for the European model to receive the mid-cycle refresh, North America prepares for an all-new Passat at the 2019 Detroit Motor Show.
It might look like the one Volkswagen sells in China, but the U.S.-spec Passat doesn’t ride on the MQB vehicle architecture. The higher-ups and beancounters decided to use an evolution of the current platform, making the all-new Passat old and irrelevant from the get-go.
The reason Volkswagen cheaped out on the American model is the demand for crossovers and SUVs, translating to a hodgepodge that will fail spectacularly from a commercial standpoint. As opposed to the ever-popular Camry and Accord, the Passat has nothing on Toyota and Honda when it comes to sales.
Over the course of November 2018, Volkswagen Group of America sold 2,156 examples of the breed. As for the Camry and Accord, make that 24,545 and 23,367 by comparison. In other words, the Passat is struggling to sell 10 percent of the volume posted monthly by the segment’s favorite sedans.
Even though we live in a world where speed is everything thanks to the Internet, it would’ve been better if Volkswagen were to tone down the online jibber-jabber. The purpose of a car is to get the driver and passenger from point A to point B as fast, comfortable, and safely as possible, not to surf the web while doing 200 km/h on the Autobahn.
Since its introduction in 1973, the Passat went on to be sold on every continent of the world. And in the past 45 years, Volkswagen managed to sell “more than 29 million” examples of the breed, making it the second-best selling nameplate after the Golf (35 million). The Beetle ranks third on the list, totaling 21.5 million units of the air-cooled mechanical marvel.
Volkswagen expects the Passat to break the 30-millionth threshold sometime in 2019, but that’s not all! As we wait for the European model to receive the mid-cycle refresh, North America prepares for an all-new Passat at the 2019 Detroit Motor Show.
It might look like the one Volkswagen sells in China, but the U.S.-spec Passat doesn’t ride on the MQB vehicle architecture. The higher-ups and beancounters decided to use an evolution of the current platform, making the all-new Passat old and irrelevant from the get-go.
The reason Volkswagen cheaped out on the American model is the demand for crossovers and SUVs, translating to a hodgepodge that will fail spectacularly from a commercial standpoint. As opposed to the ever-popular Camry and Accord, the Passat has nothing on Toyota and Honda when it comes to sales.
Over the course of November 2018, Volkswagen Group of America sold 2,156 examples of the breed. As for the Camry and Accord, make that 24,545 and 23,367 by comparison. In other words, the Passat is struggling to sell 10 percent of the volume posted monthly by the segment’s favorite sedans.
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