Photo: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
Volkswagen followed a clever strategy when concealing the lines of the Passat B9 prototypes. The first cars undergoing testing were painted black, with black tape covering all the interesting details. Now Volkswagen is confident enough to let us see more with a silver-painted Passat Variant.
Volkswagen Passat Variant camo is a masterpiece, considering that it managed to hide the next generation’s design in plain sight. It was long before somebody realized that the prototype in the pictures was not a test mule but the real deal. After we saw the plug-in hybrid version of the car, it is time to look closer at the silver prototypes showing more details of the upcoming mid-size wagon.
When comparing the silver Passat with the PHEV version, it’s hard to notice any difference at the front. The B9 will surely have a narrower grille because the photo tape mimicking the B8 Passat’s design stretches above the hood. It should look similar to what we see on the Golf 8, perhaps with a nod to the ID.4’s design. In the back, we expect a light bar uniting the taillights, as Volkswagen introduced on all recent models.
The prototype in these pictures doesn’t feature the charge port on the front fender, so a plug-in hybrid powertrain is out of the question. Judging by the small silencer in the left corner with a tailpipe pointing down, this should be a diesel variant, one of the several TDI versions that Volkswagen usually offers in the segment.
The Volkswagen Passat Variant would be exclusively sold in Europe as the only version of the mid-size car that was the pride of Volkswagen’s lineup. It will be assembled in the Czech Republic on the same production line as its sisters, Skoda Superb and Superb Combi, which explains why the Passat has a longer wheelbase this time. The Skoda Superb is also the only one of the two being offered as a sedan.
Volkswagen explained the decision by saying that Western Europeans love station wagons, so a Passat sedan would not be necessary. For Eastern Europe and other emerging markets, which traditionally disregard the wagons as too utilitarian, the Skoda Superb would fill the role at a lower price point.
When comparing the silver Passat with the PHEV version, it’s hard to notice any difference at the front. The B9 will surely have a narrower grille because the photo tape mimicking the B8 Passat’s design stretches above the hood. It should look similar to what we see on the Golf 8, perhaps with a nod to the ID.4’s design. In the back, we expect a light bar uniting the taillights, as Volkswagen introduced on all recent models.
The prototype in these pictures doesn’t feature the charge port on the front fender, so a plug-in hybrid powertrain is out of the question. Judging by the small silencer in the left corner with a tailpipe pointing down, this should be a diesel variant, one of the several TDI versions that Volkswagen usually offers in the segment.
The Volkswagen Passat Variant would be exclusively sold in Europe as the only version of the mid-size car that was the pride of Volkswagen’s lineup. It will be assembled in the Czech Republic on the same production line as its sisters, Skoda Superb and Superb Combi, which explains why the Passat has a longer wheelbase this time. The Skoda Superb is also the only one of the two being offered as a sedan.
Volkswagen explained the decision by saying that Western Europeans love station wagons, so a Passat sedan would not be necessary. For Eastern Europe and other emerging markets, which traditionally disregard the wagons as too utilitarian, the Skoda Superb would fill the role at a lower price point.
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