Photo: Volkswagen
This story has a sweet and sour taste to it. The good news is that America will finally get a Passat that's based on the MQB platform. However, it will also be designed in America and probably developed there as well.
We've stopped counting the updates and refreshes done to this generation of the American Passat. So it's good that a new model is finally coming. However, it's still a few years away. According to VW Vortex, another facelift had been planned for 2018, but it's been scrapped.
In its place, VW of America will make an all-new Passat that "is going to be designed in America, for America". We suspect it might arrive in 2019, but even that will be pretty late.
Demand for mid-size sedans has been dropping considerably this year as a result of SUV popularity. VW probably knows another facelift won't make a bit of difference. But it's worth pointing out that the Europeans have enjoyed an MQB-based Passat since 2014. It might not be as pretty as the Mazda6, but it is the best-selling model in its class.
And there is our big problem with the idea of a US-only Passat. People don't to buy fake German cars that are actually made in America. They want the real deal. That's why the Golf R is so incredibly popular despite the Dieselgate scandal. We checked the comments of our source story, and they say pretty much the same thing.
However, there could be one an upside. It's just speculation on our part, but we think US production could mean a V6 will be offered again. Europeans can't sell one because of CO2 emissions regulations and stuff like that. But the American version of the Tiguan, the three-row Teramont, will have a V6.
From our understanding, this is a 3.0 TSI developed specifically for MQB cars. With a single turbocharger, it's able to deliver around 300 horsepower and plenty of torque. That's the kind of German engineering we like!
In its place, VW of America will make an all-new Passat that "is going to be designed in America, for America". We suspect it might arrive in 2019, but even that will be pretty late.
Demand for mid-size sedans has been dropping considerably this year as a result of SUV popularity. VW probably knows another facelift won't make a bit of difference. But it's worth pointing out that the Europeans have enjoyed an MQB-based Passat since 2014. It might not be as pretty as the Mazda6, but it is the best-selling model in its class.
And there is our big problem with the idea of a US-only Passat. People don't to buy fake German cars that are actually made in America. They want the real deal. That's why the Golf R is so incredibly popular despite the Dieselgate scandal. We checked the comments of our source story, and they say pretty much the same thing.
However, there could be one an upside. It's just speculation on our part, but we think US production could mean a V6 will be offered again. Europeans can't sell one because of CO2 emissions regulations and stuff like that. But the American version of the Tiguan, the three-row Teramont, will have a V6.
From our understanding, this is a 3.0 TSI developed specifically for MQB cars. With a single turbocharger, it's able to deliver around 300 horsepower and plenty of torque. That's the kind of German engineering we like!
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