Right up until the eve of the Detroit auto show, Volkswagen preserved the secrecy of the name of the new Passat family sedan – admitting only upon the car’s introduction that the much-anticipated name for the new car is: Passat.
Could it BE more boring?
The company has insisted upon using the code name New Midsize Sedan for the last couple years.
The good news is that the 2012 Passat looks promising, with smart, taut Walter de Silva-penned lines following the horizontal theme seen previously on the Golf and Jetta. VW is betting big that they can sell a bunch more Passats than they have done until now, building a new factory in Tennessee expressly for the car.
The new Passat, like the new Jetta, is also designed with VW’s conception of what American customers want in mind. We won’t know until we drive production units whether the company has hit that target any better with the Passat than with the Jetta, but indications are that the Passat’s material finish will be better, thanks to touches like the use of the instrument cluster that debuted in the still-premium Touareg and the liberal use of chrome trim.
The two overriding features that appeal to American customers, in VW’s view, are “big” and “cheap.” Considering the popularity of big box retailers, the point is hard to argue. In the case of the Passat, a starting price of $20,000 has the cheap part covered, in terms of dollars anyway. Here’s hoping there is nothing cheap about the real car once it reaches showrooms. Among the standard features are climate control and Bluetooth phone connectivity, in addition to a bevy of safety technologies like stability control and brake assist.
VW also went big with the Passat, but apparently estimated that Honda overshot the mark with its king-sized Accord. The new Passat, at 191.7 inches splits the difference between the Accord and Camry in length, directly hitting the Chevy Malibu in terms of size.
Although it is as big as a Malibu, it will offer fuel economy like an Aveo, or Sonic, or whatever the small Chevy is called this week The 140-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel engine will achieve highway fuel economy of 43 mpg, VW predicts. The TDI is matched to either a five-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatically shifter dual-clutch transmission. The gas-burning 170-hp, 2.5-liter inline five-cylinder engine used in the Golf and Jetta will be the Passat’s base engine and is equipped with either a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. The top-of-the-line 280-hp, 3.6-liter VR6 engine is the Passat’s premium powerplant uses only the six-speed DSG transmission. The company says it has solved the problem of premature clutch wear suffered in some previous iterations of this transmission.
Volkswagen of America president and CEO Jonathan Browning promises that the company will continue to embrace enthusiast drivers with its new models, assuring that the Passat will deliver a European driving experience and announcing that the Golf R model sold in Europe will come to the States. “Our focus is as much on the driving enthusiast as on everyday driving,” he pledged.
But everyday driving can still be tedious, even in fun cars, so VW has linked up with legendary guitar maker Fender for the Passat’s premium sound system.
....A boring and hulking mass of "big" and "cheap". VW should go to the same school Hyundai did and learn to make better cars. Hyundai already trumps this car with the Genesis. How do you go from the beautiful CC to this? Am I crazy or does that dash look as boring and totally the same as the Cobalts dash?
Edited 1 time(s). Last edited Wednesday, January 12, 2011 8:32 AM
"Formerly known as Jammit - JBO member since 1998" JBOM | CSS.net
WTF the interior looks almost like my car
Eternal wrote:WTF the interior looks almost like my car
Correction, reminds me of a little
The only thing going for it, it will be built in the US. Outside styling is not offensive but it looks 3yrs old already. Interior looks cheap and dated, the "plastiwood" looks horrible no matter what car.
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-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----
This is the new and exciting US-only model they were touting for Chattanooga? Sigh.
I think VW has clearly tried to go more conservative in their designs and move upscale in their lineup, but unfortunately their result has been one of a bland and outdated-looking line. Unfortunately they're going to be stuck with this for a while.
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- Sold my beloved J in April 2010 -
The new VW's look like total @!#$.
yawn in the title is right........
Noticed the pic of the car in the center guage area.If I am not correct I believe nissan did that back in uh the 80's.Oh but it will tell you the door is open so you can fall out and buy something better.
Ron Love wrote:Noticed the pic of the car in the center guage area.If I am not correct I believe nissan did that back in uh the 80's.Oh but it will tell you the door is open so you can fall out and buy something better.
That's the MDF and all VW's have had them for 10 years. It actually displays an array of information.
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My Pontiac has that. Which is a 98
Looks like VW masturbated on a ford five hundred and lowered it a little.
Yawn is accurate.
Yawn is right! Who knows I might be building that car soon. I'll make sure and jizz in the trunk of each car.
Viper98912 wrote:This is the new and exciting US-only model they were touting for Chattanooga? Sigh.
I think VW has clearly tried to go more conservative in their designs and move upscale in their lineup, but unfortunately their result has been one of a bland and outdated-looking line. Unfortunately they're going to be stuck with this for a while.
I live in Chattanooga and yes, they have been touting the hell out of it here. I'm sure i'll see them riding around lol.
FstCavZ24 wrote:Yawn is right! Who knows I might be building that car soon. I'll make sure and jizz in the trunk of each car.
Damn you Chad, you better not...
It's going to be weird seeing a 2.5L in a passat.
13.3 @ 106 mph Cammed
This is pretty bland.
as far as the rest of v dub, nothing but love here
"Straight roads are for fast cars, turns are for fast drivers"-Colin McRae
well when you run it into the wall because its so ugly. it will automatically shut off the fuel, unlock the door, and turn on your haxards. damn i thought gm was high tech when onstar calls 911 automatically when your in a wreck.
Mr.Goodwrench-G.T. wrote:The only thing going for it, it will be built in the US. Outside styling is not offensive but it looks 3yrs old already. Interior looks cheap and dated, the "plastiwood" looks horrible no matter what car.
Coincidence? I think not.
2010 Honda Fit LX
Tony T Crams wrote:Mr.Goodwrench-G.T. wrote:The only thing going for it, it will be built in the US. Outside styling is not offensive but it looks 3yrs old already. Interior looks cheap and dated, the "plastiwood" looks horrible no matter what car.
Coincidence? I think not.
lol I know what you're saying, but there is difference... Companies choosing with the interior supply makers the materials that will go into the car is what I'm suggesting. Here VW decided to go even further with the cheap route and the execution is what you see in the latest VWs; mediocre interior. It doesn't matter where the car is built, hell, we have plenty of cars built in the US like Honda and Toyota and the materials chosen are nowhere as dreary as these latest VWs. And I've seen materials from Mercedes and BMW (Audi still does good) that are built in Germany, Brazil, Austria and looks as if they belong in a Mattel toy. And don't get me started on how they wither through time. lol
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-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----
it looks like they took the last gen Accord front end, the rear end of a Saab 9-3 and glued it together in the middle. oi, c'mon VeeDub.. this tattoo is making me look bad now
I loved the Mk5 Passat and the CC.. but this thing is just.. well.. boring.. lol. it looks like they went back to the Mk2 days where the front ends on all the cars were the same, but from the doors-back was different
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