Cars

New VW Passat will be its last traditional family car launched with a petrol engine before it goes electric

Fox News August 30, 2023

Volkswagen has just taken the covers off what will likely be its last ‘traditional’ family car launched with a petrol or diesel engines under the bonnet.

The new Passat has been unveiled overnight – and the big news is that it won’t be available as a saloon from 2024, with the latest iteration sold as an estate car only.

As VW accelerates its shift towards electric vehicles (EVs) – already confirming its current Mk8 Golf will be its last with a combustion engine – this is set to be the final family-friendly model that isn’t an SUV it will bring to market before the brand sells only cars running on batteries from around 2033.

Here are six things you need to know about the new Passat…

The last new ‘traditional’ Volkswagen family car with petrol and diesel engines? With the German brand looking to switch away from combustion engine models in the coming years, this could be the last launch of a spacious and practical non-SUV model that doesn’t run exclusively on batteries. Here’s six things you need to know about the 2024 Passat

1. It will be the last new traditional family car VW with petrol and diesel engines

Volkswagen bosses have said that the next-generation T-Roc crossover – which is due in 2026 – will be its final new combustion engine model to launch before it fully commits to going electric.

This means time is running out for its more traditional family cars before they are sold exclusively with batteries.

As well as confirming that there won’t be a new Golf – or Golf Estate variant – with petrol or diesel engines, VW has also said that the stylish Arteon – also available as a ‘Shooting Brake’, which is the only other estate the German maker currently sells – will cease production ahead of schedule due to a lack of customer demand.

It means the Passat will be the last new estate car – not including SUVs – VW will likely unveil with a combustion engine providing the power.

Previous 1 Next Why are petrol and diesel prices rising again? World’s most expensive new car: Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire… Lamborghini’s Lanzador previews its first ELECTRIC model -…

Share this article

HOW THIS IS MONEY CAN HELP

How to save on car insurance: Ten top tips to cut the cost in just a few minutes

There’s a range of engine options available, including a mild-hybrid petrol, turbocharged petrols and turbodiesels. But it is also available as this plug-in hybrid, which offers around 62 miles of electric-only range, which VW says enough for the average daily requirement

One 1.5-litre mild-hybrid petrol, two 2.0-litre turbocharged petrols and three 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine options will be available across Europe at launch, some with all-wheel drive systems. However, it isn’t confirmed which – if not all – of these will be sold to UK customers.

2. You won’t be able to buy a saloon version

Since its inception, the Passat has always been sold as a saloon or estate, but the last version will ditch the former due to a lack of demand for sedan models in Europe

For half a century, the Passat has been sold as a choice of either a saloon or estate… but that will not be the case for the 2024 model.

Volkswagen will sell the next-generation car exclusively as an estate.

And that’s because there’s not much demand for saloons in Europe, bosses claim. That’s despite the fact Passat was the best-selling saloon model on the continent in 2022, according to official record.

And another interesting fact is that it also won’t be built in Germany. While production of the outgoing model was at its Emden plant, the new car will be made at its factory in Bratislava, Slovakia.

3. The Passat is now more spacious than it has ever been

A longer wheelbase than the outgoing Passat means the 2024 car should be more spacious inside. VW quotes 5cm of extra legroom for passengers in the back

The boot is also bigger than before. With up to 690 litres with the rear seats upright, it is 40-litres roomier than the model it replaces. Fold the second row flat and there’s a van-like 1,920 litres of loading space

Does bigger always mean better? In a capacious estate cars aimed at families, it does.

And the new Passat is more generous, which gets a longer wheelbase and therefore offers better legroom. Not much, though, with knee room in the back extended by 5cm to almost a metre (94.7cm) in total.

But the larger dimensions also mean a bigger boot and therefore improved luggage space.

Compared to the outgoing Passat, the boot compartment is 40 litres roomier, taking the total space (when loaded up to the height of the rear seat backrests) to 690 litres. This grows by 140 litres to 1,920 litres when the rear bench seat is folded down.

4. This family wagon is more aerodynamic than some sports cars

‹ Slide me ›

The Passat’s long body makes it a very aerodynamic car. In fact, its drag coefficient rating of 0.25 is better than that of a £3.2million Bugatti Chiron (0.36)

Not only is it more aerodynamic than some sports cars, it also comes with the additional practicality of an optional tow bar

The Passat might be a barge-like estate designed to shuttle families or up to 2,000 litres of luggage at any given time, but its aerodynamics are better than most sports cars, VW claims.

The new model has a measured drag coefficient of just 0.25. To put that into perspective, a £3.6million Bugatti Chiron has a drag coefficient of around 0.36 (lower is better, in this instance).

That’s not bad for a vehicle that has a tow bar as one of its official optional extras. However, its aerodynamic achievements are thanks mostly to its long body.

But it does have a lot of clever tricks up its sleeve – or wheelarch, in this case – that help make it slice through the air better than rivals.

There are a few aerodynamic features of the new Passat, namely an electrically controlled radiator blind that only opens when the engine requires cooling and bumpers with air curtains that direct air flow away from the body and into the front wheels to fan the brakes

Other elements of the Passat that help improve aerodynamic performance includes a new underbody design and sculpted wing mirrors

This includes an electrically controlled radiator blind that only opens when the engine requires cooling, bumpers with air curtains that direct air flow away from the body and into the front wheels to fan the brakes, and a new underbody design that runs from the front to the rear diffuser.

Even the wing mirrors have been sculpted to ‘minimise the area of attack for the wind’, while the D-pillars towards the back are shaped to reduce air turbulence together with the roof spoiler.

‘Sharp separation edges in the tail light clusters and bumper as well as aerodynamically polished rims perfect the air flow,’ Volkswagen adds.

5. A new floating infotainment screen that looks like a high-end tablet

‹ Slide me ›

After extensively surveying current owners, Volkswagen has completely redesigned the digital cockpit. The biggest change is the new infotainment system and instrument cluster, both of which ‘form one visual axis’ across the dashboard, VW says

The biggest infotainment screen available is this 15-inch option on higher-grade versions, offering an improved 2,240 x 1,260 resolution

Like its German rivals, Volkswagen is going big when it comes to interior displays in its latest cars – and the Passat is no different.

After extensively surveying current owners, Volkswagen has completely redesigned the digital cockpit and added a new infotainment system, both of which ‘form one visual axis’ across the dashboard.

As standard, buyers will get a 10.25-inch high-definition digital instrument cluster to provide all the necessary information from speed, revs and a secondary sat-nav view.

This is linked to a 12.9-inch infotainment displays with a 1,920 x 1,080 pixel resolution that looks like a large tablet freestanding on the dash.

But if this isn’t enough of a widescreen experience for tech fans, there is a bigger 15-inch option on higher-grade versions, offering an improved 2,240 x 1,260 resolution.

And while VW says it has made big improvements to the operating system – having taken some flack for the dim-witted infotainment operation in the Golf and electric ID.3 in particular – many of the settings can also be controlled by a ‘natural IDA voice control function’ that should recognise even the broadest of regional accents.

A new virtual head-up driver display is also available.

6. When can I get one and how much will it cost?

Engine availability, specifications and pricing are all yet to be confirmed by Volkswagen UK. But expect prices to start from under £40,000 for the entry models, which should be in showrooms from early next year

The new Passat will makes its debut in the metal at next month’s Munich Motor Show and order books will open shortly after. However, don’t expect UK showrooms to have them until the first quarter of next year.

For now, we still don’t know which engines or specifications British drivers will be offered, so pricing is still to be confirmed.

However, we don’t expect the entry model to stray too far from the price of the current Passat estate – from £35,395 – though the plug-in hybrid versions will almost certainly come with a hefty premium.

CARS & MOTORING: ON TEST

The Audi Q8 is annoyingly good for a ‘sporty’ coupe-style SUV Ferrari Roma Spider costs £210k – here’s what you get for your money China’s all-electric BYD Dolphin lands ashore – we test it on UK roads Our epic road test through Demark and Sweden in the new Polestar 2 New Abarth 500e convertible is a rare treat – it’s electric and sporty Honda’s new CR-V is bigger than its predecessor – but is it better? We beat the new Bond to test his new car: Aston Martin DB12 review Behind the wheel of Rolls-Royce’s Spectre: We test the new EV Roller Skoda’s crowning glory: Superb L&K 4×4 Estate with extras driven Maserati Grecale test – the SUV with 50% of sales projected for women Dacia’s budget family car with seven seats! The £18,000 Jogger tested This Q8 is just great: We take Audi’s new Sportback e-tron for a spin Enter the Dragon! BYD Atto EV is the Chinese company’s first UK model Ferrari’s first four-door family car: New £313,000 Purosangue driven Thrills without frills: £31,000 MG5 is one of the cheapest family EVs Renault’s Arkana ticks all the boxes for what car-buying Britons want Can Peugeot’s chic 408 hybrid crossover be a hit in the UK? We test it We drive the Civic Type R – the rebellious bad boy in Honda’s line-up Rolls Royce Spectre: What’s it lke to drive the first ELECTRIC Roller? Ineos Grenadier driven: Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s £69,000 Defender Can you really live with a tiny Citroen Ami? Seven tasks in seven days Don’t supersize me! Is the ‘smaller’ Volvo XC60 all the SUV you need? We pamper some passengers in the new £211k Bentley Bentayga New kind of Buzz! VW’s electric MPV still feels like a hippy campervan A car for all seasons: A 600-mile round trip in Peugeot’s 3008 GT PHEV Feline fun: Funky Cat is the new pure-electric car from China’s Ora Skoda’s zero-emission hero: The Enyaq IV vRS is its hot electric SUV Toyota’s modern marvel: GR86 sports coupe is here – and it’s brilliant Perfect for energy blackouts: Kia’s new Niro EV can power your freezer Retro bus: We put VW’s new ID Buzz van though its paces on UK roads Want a family electric car that won’t cost the earth? £24k MG4 EV test The new 11th generation of the Honda Civic hits the market French fancy: Sleek Peugeot 308 SW estate attracts admiring glances Vauxhall reaches for the stars with the latest Astra: We’ve driven it Cool ride: We test the new Citroen C5X on the hottest day of the year Choices, choices – there’s three types of Kia Niro – we test the PHEV Pininfarina’s £2m Battista accelerates quicker than a fighter jet Grand Juke of torque: Nissan’s new British-built hybrid compact SUV A supercar with ultra-green credentials: Hybrid McLaren Artura test Subaru’s cautious comeback: We test the new all-wheel drive Outback Sporty Cupra Born offers a taste of Spain. We drive the electric hatch Driving the fastest luxury SUV on the planet: Aston Martin DBX 707 Royal Range Rover hits the road: We test the new £100k luxury SUV We go to the Arctic Circle to test the £400k Rolls-Royce Spectre EV BMW goes snap-happy: 2 Series Active Tourer has onboard selfie camera It might be red but Ferrari’s 296 GTB is a definitely a green supercar Test of a pre-production VW ID Buzz ahead of electric camper’s debut Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s off-roader DRIVEN: We test the new Ineos Grenadier Dacia Duster cuts a dash: We drive the new no-frills family SUV Is the Vauxhall Corsa really better than a Ford Fiesta? We test one In the week Kia tops UK sales charts, we try its all-new Sportage SUV Genesis will rock you! New GV70 Shooting Brake hits the right notes Absolutely fabia-lous: Skoda’s 4th-gen hatchback demonstrates staying… Is this the most high-tech car on the road? Mercedes’ £100k EQS driven Kia’s EV6 coupe-like crossover is creating an electrical storm at £41k Audi RS3 Sportback is a veritable muscle car that exudes performance Honda’s bold statement with new family oriented hybrid compact HR-V Peugeot’s new pride: Plug-in hybrid 308 will make you green with envy Does Audi’s Q5 Sportback have substance or is the SUV too impractical? Jack of all trades: Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo is an £80k estate EV Vauxhall’s full of beans: First drive of the new Mokka crossover V8 or W12? Which Bentley Flying Spur should you buy (in your dreams)? Is Ford’s Mustang Mach-E worthy of the fabled muscle-car name? Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Next

Tags: Cars