Volkswagen Passat Facelift Coming in 2018 With Arteon Styling

We fondly remember testing the 240 horsepower diesel version and €10,000 worth of features. But interior lighting can't disguise the age of the car. As such, Volkswagen is preparing to launch a mid-life facelift.

According to German magazine Auto Bild. The Passat facelift will be revealed next summer and go on sale in the fall. That means we could start seeing some camouflaged prototypes.

The previous Passat didn't have a facelift. In fact, most Volkswagen cars didn't at the time. But we've seen with the Golf 7.5 that the designers know how to extend the shelf life of a car.

The proposed styling changes can be seen in the video below. They follow the example set by the Arteon and include a bolder grille and headlight assembly. However, it won't be as sporty as the four-door coupe with which it shares its platform.

The technology package will be massively updated with semi-autonomous tech and a new infotainment system grabbing all the attention. Better phone integration, a wireless charging pad, gesture controls and a head-up display might convince the current Passat owner to trade in for the newer model. The dashboard will surely have fewer buttons as well.

The Passat still sets the segment benchmark, but it will update to the new 1.5 TSI engine from the Golf 7.5. In the base spec, this will produce 130 HP (up from 125 HP), followed by the 150 HP version starting with the Comfortline trim.

There's also a BlueMotion mild hybrid version that could replace the 1.6 TDI in the future. As for the rest of the engine range, we will bee the 1.8 TSI replaced by the 2.0 TSI with 190 HP.