Volkswagen Launches 7th Generation Passat

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

When I started as a budding (and driver’s license less) copywriter on the Volkswagen account in fall of 1973, they were just introducing a (for Volkswagen) highly unusual car. They called it the Passat. After that followed in rapid-fire fashion the Golf, the Scirocco, the Polo. They turned the company around. And kept me employed for more than 30 years. With the Golf being the volume Weltmeisterr, it is often forgotten that it was the Passat that started a new era at Volkswagen. And now, the car enters its 7th generation.

At the Paris Auto Show, Volkswagen presented the seventh iteration of the Passat. More than 15 million units have been sold in more than 100 countries, making it one of the greatest success stories ever in automotive history. As a nod to history, a sedan and a station wagon were launched simultaneously. For decades, the station wagon version had outsold the sedan 7:3, only in more recent times did the sedan become more popular.

The new Passat “offers upper-class features in a mid-class car,” boasted Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Head of Development for Volkswagen.

The Gen7 Passat comes with the usual panoply of then different engines, from 105 hp all the way through 300 hp. According to Volkswagen, all are more fuel efficient, some up to 19 percent more. The 1.6 TDI turbodiesel with 105 hp consumes just 4.2 l/100 km (56 MPG, not EPA) and emits only 109 g/km CO2.

The new Passat will be available in initial European markets starting as soon as mid-November.

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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  • Kevin Jaeger Kevin Jaeger on Sep 30, 2010

    I've had two Passats and loved 'em both. The current one is a '99 Wagon with more than 300K on it and it's still running great. I don't doubt some have had reliability issues but my experience has been excellent.

  • Stingray Stingray on Sep 30, 2010

    I pass. The previous one looked better IMO.

  • Pauldun170 Pauldun170 on Oct 01, 2010

    Great...another wagon off the market.

    • See 1 previous
    • Psarhjinian Psarhjinian on Oct 01, 2010

      This is the European Passat. The North American "NMS" version is on a different platform and may not see a wagon variant.

  • Jimal Jimal on Oct 01, 2010

    Add to this the lingering rumor that Volkswagen is looking at getting into NASCAR with Penske and you can see where this whole thing is going. Ugh.

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