Are you coming to America?
Many manufacturers decided to reduce sales in certain markets or discontinue the mid-size sedan segment due to declining sales. Volkswagen chose the previous for the Passat current-generation, but the German automaker didn’t want to lose one of its most popular nameplates.
Volkswagen’s solution was to stop selling the sedan in most of Europe and keep the car’s history as a station wagon. The wagon body, also known as the Passat Variant, outsells the sedan on the Old Continent by a substantial margin.
The spy pic biz friends recently saw the next-generation Passat Varant driving around in its production body. Although the car has false panels, a few publications are still rendering it. Kolesa.ru took the initiative to show what the redesigned wagon could look like without the false panels.
According to Russian publications, the future Passat road vehicle will feature upswept headlights similar to the Golf. The elements are reminiscent of the China-only Lamando L but not as striking. This render also shows the spy car’s longer windows and sleeker roofline. The rear will likely have full-width taillights and a rakish tailgate. It also has a large opening. Since the render looks more like an R Line model, we are also curious about the appearance of the smaller models.
The next generation Passat is still in development. We don’t know much about the powertrain options but expect a range mild-hybrid, plug-in hybrids and possibly a diesel for European markets. The future of the Passat remains a mystery in the USA, but the Alltrack version will be well-suited for crossover customers.
The Passat was discontinued by Volkswagen USA in the 2022 model year. You can still buy a four-door Volkswagen Passat by purchasing the Jetta or the more expensive Arteon. To get the Passat name on your trunk lid, however, you will need to relocate to Mainland China.