Let’s get the name out of the way first. As expected, the car Volkswagen has been referring to as the New Mid-Size Sedan will be badged a Passat. We already saw a new Euro-market Passat unveiled in Paris a few months ago, but this one is different. It’s been designed for Americans, and will be built here, too. We’re getting our first look at the car at the 2011 Detroit auto show.
Meet the Jetta’s Big Brother
So why the bifurcation in the product line? This new Passat, along with the recently launched Jetta, is expected to make up a good portion of its planned 800K U.S. sales by 2018. The goal is a very lofty one, but to make the Passat more popular—just 12,497 of the last one were sold here in 2010—VW is growing its mid-size sedan and lowering the price to go after the segment leaders. To that end, the company promises “accessible German engineering” at a base price of around $20K. (Expect lots and lots of advertising in this vein.) Unlike the Jetta, which was launched globally with some mechanical and interior changes for the U.S. market, this Passat was developed entirely as a separate car. We’re happy to report that it retains a multilink rear-suspension setup, unlike the Jetta, which is saddled with a torsion-beam axle for U.S. consumption.
We’d already seen some leaked shots of an uncovered 2012 Passat late last year, and so the official photos provide no surprises; the car looks like a stretched version of its Jetta sibling. Up front is the VW corporate grille, and the rear gets anonymous-looking, Jetta-ish taillights that could also have you mistaking the car at night for a BMW 3-series or a Honda Accord. The lines are clean but subdued, a result of the mass-market play. Nearly four inches have been added between the wheels versus the last Passat, which enabled a larger back seat to sate American desires.
The Power Play
The engine lineup is a VW engine nerd’s dream, and is unique among mid-size sedans. Base models will get the 2.5-liter five-cylinder that sees duty in the Jetta, among others, here putting out the same 170 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque. It’s the first time this engine has been put in a Passat and could be seen as a dastardly cost-cutting measure if this powerplant, with its most recent improvements, weren’t so likable. A five-speed manual transmission is standard with a six-speed automatic as an option. Fuel economy is estimated at 21 mpg city/32 highway with the manual and 22/31 for the automatic.
The Passat TDI returns to the U.S. lineup after a several-year absence, packing VW’s familiar 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo-diesel with 140 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque. A manual again will be standard here, and a six-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic will be optional. VW projects fuel economy of 31 mpg in the city and 43 on the highway with either transmission, as well as an 800-mile range. Both of those fuel-economy numbers are one higher than VW sees in the Golf and Jetta TDI models; we're told aerodynamic efficiency and tweaks to transmission internals are to thank for the larger car's superior projected economy.
At the top of the Passat lineup will be a 3.6-liter narrow-angle V-6 making 280 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. This VR6 engine is paired solely with the six-speed DSG. The segment’s current power leaders, if you’re keeping score, are the 274-horse turbo four in the Kia Optima and Hyundai Sonata and the 283-hp Pentastar V-6 in the Chrysler 200. VW forecasts EPA ratings of 20/28 mpg for the Passat's 3.6-liter.
All the Trimmings
Just as the engine lineup will try to satisfy mileage junkies, power fiends, and the mainstream alike, VW’s comprehensive list of standard and optional equipment for the 2012 Passat should cover all the bases. The car will be offered in three trim levels: S, SE, and SEL. Included in the $20K base model—which, it should be noted, is about eight grand cheaper than today’s base Passat 2.0T—are features like automatic climate control and Bluetooth connectivity. Options will include 17- and 18-inch wheels, wood trim, leather upholstery, power seats, navigation, a Fender-branded sound system, and keyless entry and ignition. The Easy Open trunk, which allows key holders to wave their feet under the rear bumper to pop the lid, is the European Passat’s marquee feature, but is noticeably absent here. We are told that it could be added in the future.
And speaking of future options, a decision has yet to be made about a Passat hybrid, but it remains a possibility according to Toscan Bennett, VW of America’s vice president of product. Bennett expects the Passat and Jetta to sell in similar numbers, and he and the rest of the VW team hope they’re big ones. Final pricing will be available this spring, and the cars go into production at the company’s new Chattanooga, Tennessee, plant in the third quarter of this year. We’ve lamented the latest Jetta’s lost personality, but here’s hoping its Americanized big brother contains at least a modicum of the old VW mojo.
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