2016 Volkswagen Passat spotted testing

The all-new Volkswagen Passat has been spotted testing in Europe. To be introduced as a 2016 model, the new Passat has been newly developed from ground up and will specifically cater to the European market.

The spyshots indicate that the new Passat is bigger when compared to the current car. Like many other cars from Audi, Skoda, Seat and other companies under the Volkswagen group, the new Passat will be based on the popular Modular Transversal Matrix (MQB) platform. The car features a new design language which continues to lend it a very conservative look. The front fascia looks similar to the new Golf, though the headlamps are very different as both incorporate LEDs, in touch with the latest technology. 

Despite growing in size, the new Passat is expected to lose a bit of weight owing to lighter and better quality materials. Unlike in India, the Passat is offered internationally with a wide range of engines, like the TSI, TDI, highly efficient BlueMotion, e-drive pure electrics as well as plug-in hybrids. In India though, the current generation car was offered only with a 2.0-litre diesel unit, with the option of six-speed manual or the six-speed DSG. 

While most of the cars in the D-Segment have failed to meet expectations, the new Skoda Superb continues to be the segment leader by a huge margin. Even with its solid German engineering, the Passat could barely manage double digit sales figures, which led to the car being phased out recently. As the Volkswagen cars sold in India have always been the Euro-spec, we expect this Passat to be launched here sometime in 2015, a short while after its international launch. 

 Source: AutoEvolution