Offered as a station wagon only, the new generation Volkswagen Passat is a forbidden fruit in North America, but over in Europe, the company is accepting orders for it.
The brand's UK division has just announced the official pricing and specifications of the mid-size estate, which comes in three trim levels, packing multiple powertrains, including gasoline units and plug-in hybrid assemblies.
Pricing for the 2024 Volkswagen Passat Life starts at €38,480 on the road, including tax, which is equal to $48,959 at today's exchange rates. This makes it just €1,725 ($2,195) more affordable than the BMW 3 Series Sedan, which is a premium model. The 3er Touring comes from €42,395 ($53,940).
Standard gear includes 17-inch alloys, electrically adjustable side mirrors with folding and heating functions, ambient lighting, heated front seats, three-zone climate control, eight-speaker audio, DAB radio, 10.25-inch digital dials, 12.9-inch infotainment system, leather-wrapped steering wheel, reversing camera, and several safety systems.
Choosing the Elegance grade means coughing out at least €41,580 ($52,903). This model also rides on 17-inch wheels and adds more gear, including the 30-color mood lighting, front sports seats with massaging function, auto-dimming rearview mirror, and additional safety gear.
Photo: Volkswagen
Topping the 2024 Volkswagen Passat family in the United Kingdom is the R-Line. It starts at €42,830 ($54,493), brings 18-inch alloys, benefits from the same infotainment system and digital gauge cluster as the most affordable version, and adds a few more goodies that make it more appealing than the mid-range spec.
The German automaker has only announced the pricing for a single powertrain, which equips all three trim levels. It is a 1.5-liter TSI gasoline unit, which pumps out 150 ps (148 hp/110 kW) and comes with a seven-speed automatic transmission.
Volkswagen says the plug-in hybrid units will become available later this year. These include two versions of the eHybrid, which mix a 1.5L TSI with an electric motor and a 19.7 kWh battery pack. The most humble variant has 204 ps (201 hp/150 kW) to play with, and the top-of-the-line improves the output to 272 ps (268 hp/200 kW). Both use a six-speed DSG and support 50 kW DC charging. Moreover, with a 62-mile (100 km) range in the all-quiet mode, the new Passat PHEV has more than enough BEV juice for the average daily commute.
Unveiled last summer and sharing its MQB Evo construction with a whole bunch of other cars made under the VW Group's roof, including the latest Skoda Superb, Kodiak, Volkswagen Tiguan, and Audi Q6, the new Passat has a 50 mm (2 in) longer wheelbase than its predecessor. It is also 144 mm (5.7 in) longer from bumper to bumper, 20 mm (0.8 in) wider, and just about as tall. It builds on the success of its predecessors, with over 34 million copies sold worldwide since 1973, and as we already told you, it won't launch in North America.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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