Volkswagen has started the production of the new Passat at its Aurangabad facility in India. The D-segment sedan is the first MQB platform based VW car in India and is scheduled for a launch later this year. Introduced in 2015 in the European market, the new Passat was showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo in India in the form of the GTE hybrid. This is the eighth generation Passat globally and the third generation of the car in India.
The new Passat does not look fairly similar to the previous generation car thanks to the family face. It continues to get its sleek and simple but graceful sedan lines while the interior has been completely revamped. It now gets the 12.3-inch display for the instrument cluster inspired by Audi’s virtual cockpit that can switch between navigation and dials at a flick of a switch. Being a premium sedan, it does get all the bells and whistles like the two-zone climate control, rear AC blowers, cruise control, leather upholstery et al.
Under the hood, the Passat will be offered with the 2.0-litre 177bhp turbocharged diesel engine that is also found in the Skoda Superb and the Audi A4. Mated to a six-speed DSG, it powers the front wheels. There might be a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine in the pipeline but that will come only in 2018.
