Chinese Market 2015 VW Passat B8 Caught Unclothed

Cameron Aubernon
by Cameron Aubernon
chinese market 2015 vw passat b8 caught unclothed

For European and Chinese customers awaiting the 2015 Volkswagen Passat B8, the following spy photos should hold them until the sedan’s debut at the 2014 Paris Auto Show in October.

CarNewsChina reports the Chinese model in the photos will have a wheelbase 10 centimeters longer than the European version, but both will otherwise be identical. The MQB-based sedan in Europe will see power from an assortment of four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines, as well as a rumored V6 pushing over 300 horsepower under the hood of a high-performance model.

Meanwhile, the longer Chinese version — to be produced by the FAW-VW joint venture as the Magotan — will make its debut the following April during the 2015 Shanghai Auto Show, and will only come with gasoline powerplants due to cities prohibiting diesel fuel use in passenger vehicles. Local consumers should expect to pay anywhere from 200,000 yuan to 350,000 yuan ($32,000 – $56,000 USD) once the B8 arrives in dealer showrooms; no word on what Europeans will pay for their B8.



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  • Thegamper Thegamper on May 01, 2014

    I recall a time when VW made slightly quirky but unique and interesting designs and had interiors that topped your average camcord by a long shot. I have to say, just about all of VW's current designs are totally uninspiring, perhaps even going so far as to say that VW has the blandest design in the US auto market. I still like a few of their vehicles, but by and large most of the cars they make are forgettable. Its a shame.

    • FormerFF FormerFF on May 01, 2014

      Seriously, VW, what's with the bland styling? The new Jetta and this car look like a late 80's design at best.

  • Arun Arun on May 01, 2014

    I love my VW and I have to say - what is so different about this when compared to every other VW out there? Sure there is some different sheetmetal - and this is a redesign according to VW?! Sheesh!

    • See 2 previous
    • Th009 Th009 on May 02, 2014

      @vbofw The current European Passat is not MQB-based, it's a facelift of the B6 model (as previously sold in the US as well) and still carries the same 3C type designation. If this is MQB-based (and it should be) then it's a full redesign, in spite of conservative styling.

  • MrIcky I would like to compare the answers here against the answers in the recent civil forfeiture article- but I won't because research is hard. It's true though that currently a ticket has no punitive value on those with means and maybe an outsized punitive value on those without. That's not communism, that's just the way it is. Speeding tickets are too arbitrary anyway though: officer discretion, speed trap towns, excessively low speed zones in areas to increase ticket revenue instead of safety, etc. I could clearly see a case where expensive cars are selectively enforced over cheap cars because you only have so much time in a day to up the revenue. It's a gray rainy crap morning and I'm sure the government will do it wrong.
  • 28-Cars-Later Feels a bit high but then again... forget it Jake, its Clown World.In 2021 someone in Sewickley had an MY01 soft top in a manual with 54K otc which I am fairly certain was a 996 and not a Boxster - $20K. I already had my C70 at the shop being reborn and could have done the $20K but it would have been tight and just didn't make sense. Still...
  • SCE to AUX Q: Should Speeding Fines Be Based on Income?A: Yes. Rich people (the guy with $1 more than you) should pay less, because giving his income to the government means he has to lay off a worker at his business.Laws are for poor people./s
  • SCE to AUX "Volvo has suggested it’s capable of yielding 275 miles of range"Every non-US car's range estimate is based on WLTP - worth mentioning.EPA range never 'backs up' WLTP; it's always about 15% lower - so figure maybe 234 miles. Not great, except as a commuter.As for the interior - it's obviously a Model 3 clone, but the screen is substantially smaller. Incidentally, I suspect Tesla made the Model 3/Y interior so minimalist to save money - not just to be different. When you're trying to become profitable on EVs, every dollar counts.
  • SCE to AUX "there haven’t been a lot of good examples hitting the market recently. Most models are aimed at the affluent, resulting in 9,000-pound behemoths with six-figure price tags"I hope you were joking, because that is blatantly false.
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