Volkswagen Passat Set To Launch On October 10

Volkswagen has finally announced the launch of its luxury sedan, the Passat, in India. It will be the eighth generation Passat to be launched in India after the previous generation was discontinued back in 2014. The car coming to India was first showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo and VW has kept us waiting since then.

The new Passat is underpinned by the same MQB platform which was previously seen on the Skoda Superb and Audi A4. It looks sharper and sleeker than its predecessor. At the front, it gets the new three-slat grill with double-barrel LED headlamps incorporating LED DRLs in them.  On the side, it gets a very clean layout with bold shoulder lines going all the way from back to front. The rear of the car is also simple, with split tail lamps and a sleek twin exhaust.

The new Passat has dimensions of 4767x1832x1476 mm (LXWXH) which is 2mm shorter, 12mm wider and 13mm lower than its predecessor, but the wheelbase has grown by 75mm.

The interior on the Passat can be expected to draw cues from its Czech sibling, the Skoda Superb. The central console is expected to be dominated by the touchscreen infotainment system and the automatic climate control setup. The instrument cluster is likely to remain simple, ditching the Audi-like cockpit design.

The new Passat is expected to be powered by a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder TDI diesel engine producing 117PS of power, which will be sent to the front wheels with the help of a 6-speed dual-clutch DSG gearbox. Volkswagen is likely to keep the hybrid version of the Passat away from the Indian market considering the high taxes imposed by the government on hybrid vehicles.

The Volkswagen Passat is expected to be priced in the range of Rs 25 lakh to Rs 30 lakh. When launched, it will be taking on the likes of the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and the Skoda Superb. The top of the line variants of the Passat may land in the territory of cars like the Audi A3 and the Mercedes-Benz CLA.

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