Next Generation Volkswagen Passat to debut in India in 2015

Last year, Volkswagen revealed complete details of the eighth generation Passat. But whether or not it would come to India was somewhat unclear, especially considering that its previous model didn’t quite taste the kind of success they would have liked. Recently though, the German car maker announced it's intention of brining in the new B8 Passat to Indian shores. 

Based on Volkswagen’s new MQB platform the new Passat is said to be nearly 85kg lighter than its previous model. And interestingly, despite being 2mm shorter than the earlier model, it is now a lot more spacious thanks to a wheelbase which is 79mm longer. 

Up front, the B8 Passat sports a four-slat chrome grille that curves towards the headlights to give it a trapezoidal shape. Of the four, the lower most chrome bar, leads into the LED headlights. In this new generation Passat, Volkswagen has installed Dynamic Light Assist thanks to which the beam automatically adjusts for enhanced illumination. The bumper and the air dams at the front are now larger too. At the back, it bears little resemblance with its predecessor. The taillights are now sleeker and so is the exhaust. 

The insides have been significantly remoulded. It sports the new VW steering wheel, a larger 12.3-inch TFT display, heads-up display and an upgraded Infotainment system. In terms of safety, it comes with side assist with rear traffic alert, Emergency assist, City emergency braking and more. 

Considering the price that it is expected to come at, the new Passat will fall close to some offerings from Audi and BMW, Volkswagen isn’t quite targeting great numbers but will launch it from a brand and technology showcase point of view. Although Volkswagen hasn’t quite confirmed a timeline with regards to the Indian launch of the B8 Passat, we expect it to make its debut here towards the end of the year.