Volkswagen are hoping that they can halt a worrying slide in sales of their mid-size saloon and estate by giving the Passat a makeover. The work will include changes to the cars interior and also alterations to its front and rear in an effort to catch car leasing customers eyes.
Volkswagen are hoping that they can halt a worrying slide in sales of their mid-size saloon and estate by giving the Passat a makeover. The work will include changes to the cars interior and also alterations to its front and rear in an effort to catch car leasing customers eyes.
The revised Passat will be launched at the Paris motor motor show in September with sales of the revised model expected to start in January next year. With an expected inclusion of aspects from the Passat CC the car, and in particular its interior, will be getting a welcomed boost to its appeal.
We could be looking at improvements such as a more upmarket instrument pack as well as a redesigned centre console. The Centre console could also house a clearer sat-nav touch screen making both using and operating the system easier than in its current guise. Other improvements such as a sportier steering wheel with spoke mounted controls will also offer better functionality as well as adding a little style.
The interior though isn't the only area to see modifications. The front and rear of the Passat are getting a makeover that is aimed at bringing the car more in line with the new Volkswagen family look. Cars such as the Polo and Golf already represent this, so changes such as a wide lower air intake, a narrow, full-width upper grille and new headlights will find their way onto the revised car. New tail-lights and trim revisions are expected by many to lift the rear-end look of the car.
The cars engines and gear boxes are expected in the main to make their way across unchanged. The current model feature some three petrol and four diesel options, and we expected most of those option to remain on the revised model. The petrol engines are most likely to be the 1.4 and 1.8-litre TSI with the turbo diesels coming in the form of the 1.6 and 2.0-litre TDI. The larger 3.6-litre V6 R36 is expected to loose out and be dropped from the line-up.
Volkswagen has seen that they have to do something to regain sales as just three years ago the Passat accounted for 37,000 units a year. This dropped to 30,000 in 2008 and now sits at 21,000 a year ago. Volkswagen will be hoping that car leasing customers like the changes they are making and that once again it will be the car of choice for many people.