Volkswagen rolled out its 2016 Passat on Tuesday in the thick of a growing scandal around the company’s admission that it cheated on emissions tests worldwide.
The new mid-size sedan sports a new front and rear end, updated instrument panel and infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (and USB connectivity!), and for the first time will boast an R-line model with 19-inch wheels.
Last year’s engines carry over: A base 1.8-liter turbocharged four and a 3.6-liter VR6 will power the Passat. According to VW, a 2-liter turbocharged diesel (yes, that diesel engine) will be available in the Passat, but it’s unclear when Volkswagen may begin selling that engine option.
The Passat sports a different, sharper hood and front headlights up front. LED headlights and tail lights are available on all models, according to the automaker.
In back, the Passat gets a new trunk lid, rear bumper and available LED tail lamps. According to Volkswagen, only the roof, doors and body side stamped sheet metal remain from the 2015 model. R-line cars will sport a modified rear diffuser.
Inside, the Passat sports Volkswagen’s newest infotainment system with touchscreens standard on all models and CarPlay and Android Auto available. Responding to the gripes of many car owners (and car journalists) Volkswagen included a USB connector for its system instead of its proprietary cable connector.
The steering wheel, instrument panel and center stack have been updated as well. Heated rear seats are available in the Passat this year, as well.
The Passat will be available with a suite of safety systems including adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning and lane-keep assist, and parking assist. Post-collision braking, which applies the brake after impact to reduce continued impacts, will be standard on all models.
Volkswagen didn’t offer many powertrain details, other than the VR6 will sport 280 horsepower and the 1.8-turbo will manage 38 mpg with an automatic transmission. (The TDI details were left out.) Using last year’s cars a benchmark, the 1.8-turbo four will manage 170 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque and return around 24 city/36 highway/28 combined mpg. The VR6 will produce 280 horsepower with 258 lb.-ft. and return 20/28/23 mpg.
The TDI is a whole other story today.
Volkswagon updates Passat with more aggressive exhaust profile.
Claims it’s Legal.
Environmentalists disagree.
Do I give them credit for keeping the launch date and not canceling it, or do I say well now might not be the best time to be in front of the press. I guess the shrimp was already ordered so let the show go on. Would love to hear from a VW dealer on their take on the TDI gate story.
“Would love to hear from a VW dealer on their take on the TDI gate story.”
I would too, anonymous commentary would be sweet.
VW did the right thing here. Hiding and canceling would have been worse. Horn took responsibility and didn’t weasel thru it like his bosses would have.
I have to admire that. Doesn’t mean I’d get a VW, though.
I think this would pretty much sum up how VW dealers are feeling…they just kissed off a giant chunk of their sales. Like the people who bought the cars, they’re victims of this amazing fraud too. Just…wow.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SoU4qzZlcw
It will be interesting to see how “the faithful” react to all of this hubbub.
VW is one of those brands that has a hardcore loyal group of buyers and then a group of customers who could simply be “loured” into the showroom by good advertising.
I dare say that the goal of becoming and staying the World’s Number One Automaker may escape VWs grasp…
Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.
Proverbs 16:18
The “German Engineering” bit has to be luring in new buyers quite effectively. It’s mentioned twice in a 30 second, VW commercial I keep hearing on the radio.
To me it means needlessly complicated and over-engineered.
The irony of “German Engineering” as a tag line is that North America and China now get a Passat that is entirely are own and bares little relation to the one that Europe and the rest of the world get.
http://tinyurl.com/nfk3jyo
(Image: a dachshund and “German Engineering”)
The shame of it is that the new Golf is a brilliant car.
But now that I’m finding out more about this, I wonder if the gas powered stuff was rigged too.
Ugh, what a half-assed update. The new European model is all-new, looks great, and has a lovely interior. This is a mere (light) facelift, after having already been on the market for what, 5 years? It was already a completely uncompelling vehicle within the segment.
The European Passat still carries the basic cabin shape of the 2005-2011 Passat, facelifted several times.
No it doesn’t. The current one was all new on the MQB platform last year. The previous model was a facelift of the old B6 model we got here though, while the US got a new car on an updated version of the old platform.
Nice car, but who will care now?
I’m not a fan of the birch/gray-tone fake woodgrain trim, used here and in the new Sonata and BMW i3. Are dark tones out of style?
I’m going to use this opportunity to go look at, and maybe buy a new Golf R.
It offers a naturally aspirated six-cylinder and a conventional 6-speed automatic.
So not all bad.
This is not the naturally aspirated six cylinder engine you are looking for. You can go about your business. Move along.
VR6 engine old, unreliable? I’m not familiar with it.
Beyond the fact they’ve shaved a couple millimeters off the tail lamp lenses, I really can’t tell what has changed about the Passat. Sometimes when I go for a run I’ll see a Passat GLI, and that always catches my eye though, in that deep blue metallic.
I’m very interested, but only if I can get a TDI version ASAP.
I guess they think this will help Passat sales, and maybe it would temporarily if it wasn’t for their minor TDI problem. But after seeing pictures of the Euro Passat (especially the wagon), I see no reason to buy this Passat. Apparently the Euro B8 Passat is supposed to come over in 2017 so maybe that might be worth buying.
That is one boring looking large sedan in a segment where people don’t care about large sedans.
As a former product manager I have a twinge of empathy for the product team that had to roll this launch under this dark cloud.
Need a generic nondescript Car? With the W-Impala going away, the Passat fills that role.
Either W-body Impala or Passat, perfect get away car. Witnesses will swear it was some other brand or model that drove away from the scene. (Bonus points for white or silver with a coating of road grime.)
You could plop the new Sonata or Legacy sedan in there too.
Volkswagen? Are they still in business?
Whats a Volkswagen?
New in-dash tech includes an “analog clock” sitting between the 2 center air vents?
The interior does look nice, though.
It’s still Overpriced for what you get!
New in-dash tech includes an “analog clock” sitting between the 2 center air vents?
The interior does look nice, though.
It’s still Overpriced!