Fifty years after its debut in 1973, the ninth generation of the Volkswagen Passat is in the starting blocks. With these six facts you are completely up to date.
1. Only as Variant
Of Volkswagen Passat, like many other large mid-sized cars, suffers from the popularity of the SUV. The four-door sedan will therefore not return. When the Passat is in the showroom in February 2024, you can only buy it as a Variant. The electric alternative to the Passat is the Volkswagen ID.7.
2. With a little help from Skoda
The Volkswagen Passat, together with the Skoda Superb built in the same Czech factory. Both models share their chassis and engines. It characterizes the relationships within the Volkswagen group: Over the years, Skoda has grown from Volkswagen’s ugly duckling to a showpiece. They now dare Wolfsburg to leave the technical management of the new Passat to the Czechs with confidence. The Superb has even more to offer. Because it is not only available as a station wagon, but also as a five-door hatchback.
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3. Hybrid and plug-in hybrid, but no electric Passat
Like the Superb, the Volkswagen Passat is available with a 1.5 eTSI petrol engine (mild hybrid with 48-volt starter generator). It is mated to a seven-speed DSG transmission as standard.
The current Passat is already available as a plug-in hybrid (2018 hp) and that will not change with the new one. The suffix GTE disappears, from 2024 the plug-Passat is called eHybrid. Technically everything changed. The new plug-in hybrid has a 1.5-liter petrol engine instead of the 1.4 used until now. An electric motor is integrated in the transmission. A new 19.7 kWh battery, which can be charged with a maximum of 50 kW, provides an electric range of 100 kilometers. The Passat eHybrid comes in two power variants, with 204 and 272 hp. Diesel engines will not be available in the Netherlands.
4. Passat Variant has more luggage space
With its length of exactly 4917 millimeters, the new Passat is almost 5 meters long. There were times when only a Mercedes S-class was this long. This means that the Passat has grown no less than 15 cm. The wheelbase has increased by 5 millimetres, providing more space for both front and rear passengers. The volume of the luggage compartment has grown by 40 liters to 690 liters (the PHEV probably has to do with slightly less litres). If you fold the rear seat down, you have 1920 litres. That is considerably more than the 1780 liters of the retired model.
5. Appearance
Volkswagen is not the brand of major design gestures and so the Passat can still be clearly recognized as a Passat. If you opt for optional HD Led Matrix headlights (with 19,200 micro-LEDs per headlight), the two light units are connected to each other via an LED strip in the grille. At the back, the Passat follows the prevailing car fashion, where the lights are also connected to each other via an LED stripe. The Passat is a lot more streamlined than its predecessor, with a drag coefficient of 0.25 (old model: 0.31).
6. New adaptive chassis
The updated (and optional) DCC suspension has 15 different settings, ranging from comfortable to sporty. You also have to pay extra for the ergoActive front seats. You do get seat heating and ventilation and a massage function. In addition, they are covered with genuine leather. The dashboard is dominated by a huge touchscreen in the middle. Physical buttons seem to be missing and the Passat deviates from the new Skoda Superb. She does.