This is the Volkswagen’s New Midsize Sedan (NMS) that it has talked about since 2009, and it will wear the familiar Passat badge. To be unveiled at Detroit, this car will split the Passat name into two cars – the European version that was unveiled at Paris 2010 (click here to read the post and see our live gallery) and a larger bodied version for America – like how Honda does it with the Accord.
The seventh-generation European Passat is about the same size as the previous gen car which we are familiar with in Malaysia. This US version is 4,869 mm long with a 2,804 mm wheelbase, which makes it 100 mm longer than the European Passat, with a 95 mm longer wheelbase. That’s the perfect length to compete with the Honda Accord (2,800 mm wheelbase) and Toyota Camry, the top mid size saloons in the US. VW claims best in class legroom.
Although the NMS looks like the Euro Passat from the front with VW’s new corporate face (grille is slightly different), the rear design takes a completely different path – it’s very similar to the Jetta unveiled mid last year. The cabin looks familiar from a glance, but deeper comparison reveals a different centre stack – the Euro Passat has a round clock between the air-con vents and stereo, while the US car’s clock is sandwiched between the vents.
There’s also an empty space/cubby hole below at the base of the stack. Steering, dials, stereo and layout are all standard VW, which is a good thing. Compared to the black interior/silver metal trim of the Passat shown in Paris, press photos of the NMS show a beige leather cabin with wood trim, a more warm and “luxurious” feel in keeping with American tastes. The Passat will also offer the new Fender audio system designed exclusively for VW. Read about that collaboration here.
There are three drivetrain options: a 2.5L five-cylinder petrol, a 2.0L TDI Clean Diesel and a 3.6L VR6. The 170 hp/240 Nm five-pot engine comes standard with a manual gearbox, but a six-speed auto is optional. The 140 hp/320 Nm diesel, which “has the power of a six cylinder gasoline engine and the fuel economy of a hybrid” is capable of 15.2 km/l on the highway and has an amazing 800-mile range (1,280 km). The range topper is the 3.6L V6 with 280 hp and 350 Nm of twist. Both it and the TDI come with the 6-speed DSG.
The Passat rolls out from VW’s new Chattanooga plant that is part of a $4 billion investment by the company in the US market. The Camry/Accord fighter will be offered in three trim levels (S, SE and SEL) with a total of 16 equipment levels. Prices will start from around $20,000 when it reaches US showrooms later this year.
Gallery after the jump.
[zenphotopress number=999 album=1848]
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paul, is this model that is going to be ckd’ed in m’sia instead of passat cc?
btw,this is a boring look..interior also is just conventional design..
accord interior looks more promising if they are comparing..
agreed.. kinda outdated but hopefully reliable and excellent driving experience…
If you read Autoblog.com regularly, you will see that Americans don’t consider VW reliable at all.
That is becoz, VW really isnt reliable. And they charged you outrageous price for spare parts to fund stupid cars like their Bugatti Veyron!
DRB! Pls welcome aboard to Bolehland!
Tail lights’ design looks like current BMW 3 series one.
DSZ hope you are reading this!!!
What wz in your head when the 2 JV meetings failed??
This would have been the “perfect” Perdana replacement model.
enough with the VW-Proton talk already. if they can’t work together, why would you force the marriage? at least now VW is with another malaysian, instead of thailand.
The serenity of the interior makes me fall asleep… Boriiinngg!!!
These cost saving/platform sharing crap is a little too much from VW. Can’t they design a proper D segment cars anymore??
Off topic Paul,
Got news from reliable source in Naza-Kia, K5 or known as Optima in Malaysia is launching this coming April or May.
Any coverage on that one? That is one gorgeous car.
“Prices will start from around $20,000”.
I suggest that this blog keep writing and reporting about the price of these cars both outside and inside of Malaysia, regardless of whether it is higher or lower, and do the RM conversion as well. This should open up a lot of minds to the possibility of enjoying a new BMW 3-series rather than being satisfied with an Inspira with about the same amount of money. Consider how ignorant the average citizen is, and realize that half of the population is even more ignorant than that.
with currency floating everynow and then, y dun u just google it online.. just few clicks away… duh….
and what would you achieve from doing that?
I believe most of the people here would rather view it as politic rather than economic issues.
This one nice too, but European version looks and feel much luxury.
New Jetta & Passat will come soon, I heard! GLAD! What’s the price?
it looks ok not that exciting as BMW or Audi…..hehehehehe….
Maybe its the intrerior as I prefer dark interior colored …… dashboard kinda plain…..prefer aguar interior or italian make
oppsss Jaguar interior….
c’mon laaa hicom… ckd golf, polo and beetle laaa… tak yah pikir banyak2.. do what sells!! we can export to thailand mah tis time instead always import from them huhu…
The back kinda reminds me of the Audi A4.
hmm looks a prettier waja.
the rear seat legroom may seem generous but the middle hum is really in the way. dislike those hum that make 3 adult sitting behind uncomfortable.
rear look kinda like jetta indeed. now feels like A4, this passat, jetta and maybe even the new Optima rear lamp looks the similar…
Very very nice car!yea Kia Optima look sporty but handling and performance i’m not sure…good job VW!
This is like what Mazda did with the Mazda 6 – our Mazda 6 and the American Mazda 6 looks very much alike but the American Mazda 6 has a longer wheelbase.