2012 Passat Thread (Spy pics & info)

[Bartek Sikorski]

German Autobild has a great preview of how the next-generation VW Passat will look like. Not bad we say, we like the new front! They also unveiled the news that VW will bring a New Midsized Sedan (NMS) for the US and that they will introduce a complete fleet of hatchbacks across the whole model line-up. Exciting news for all VW fans! The next-gen VW Passat will hit the roads in 2011 and it will be bigger than a current Audi A6 Avant.

[Monster]

Looks ok so far, the rear styling is too similar to the new Citroen C5. The current Passat is spacious enough, does it need to become even bigger than the current A6 ?

[shonguiz]

Next gen ? Isn't that a simple facelift ?

[Yannis]

I read somewhere that the new Passat will actually be smaller than the current model now that the CC has been launched and covering the space above the current model.

[Tarek]

Glad they're downsizing the current one is in A6 territory!

[Centurion]

The way the tail light don't extend outside the boot lid is very Q7-ish, very unattractive.

[Bartek Sikorski]

Volkswagen will facelift the Passat one more time in 2009 before the all-new Passat v7.0 arrives in 2012, CAR Online can reveal.

Under messieurs Pischetsrieder and Bernhard, VW had planned four different Passat-based models for the next generation: a saloon, estate, CC Coupé and CV Shooting Brake. The coupé was indeed launched at the 2008 Detroit show, but the Shooting Brake was shot down by the new leaders, as was the Crosser based on the next-generation Audi A6. Simplification is the name of the game.

Martin Winterkorn has also pulled the Passat facelift forward from 2010 to 2009, and the all-new B7/VW47X will now be launched in 2012, not 2013/2014.
And how exactly will VW facelift the Passat in 2009?

The facelift includes the usual cosmetic changes which should reduce the chrome content, add new lights, restyle the bumpers and spice up the equipment with goodies like a rear-view camera and automatic parking aids.

The diesel engines switch to common-rail injection, and we should also see a new base unit in the shape of the 110bhp/184lb ft 2.0-litre EU5 motor as well as more potent 2.0-litre TDIs mustering 204bhp/332lb ft.

Ok, spill the beans on the next VW Passat!

Although the board has not yet signed it off, the all-new Passat B7 will almost certainly retain its current transverse engine layout, albeit on the brand new ultra-flexible MQB architecture.

This decision entails various far-reaching consequences. For a start, it determines a long-term course for Passat variants; never again will there be an oddball W8 and nor will the Passat move too upmarket. VW has no ideas above its station this time, it seems...
MQB platforms? Plain English, please…


Ok, VW’s new MQB architecture is a transverse architecture that’s designed specially to underpin all the group’s larger mainstream Volkswagens: the Passat saloon and estate, the Passat CC successor, and a new mid-size sedan and SUV for North America.

Above this MQB platform, there will be just three VWs. That’s the Mk2 Touareg and Phaeton – and the long-awaited E-class/5-series rival which will be developed alongside the next Audi A6/A7.

This will be a classic exec and Wolfsburg plans a single bodystyle – a sleek four-door notchback that’s said to be understated from the outside but adopt the sumptuous interior we know from the Phaeton inside.

New VW Passat: the lowdown

Had the seventh-generation Passat switched to the north-south platform of the Audi A4/A5, a wide engine selection could have been taken for granted. But now the Passat has been lumped with the transverse set-up, it means a different suite of engines will be offered.

VW has already given the green light to the follow-up to the VR6. The new version retains the narrow 15deg V angle, but it adopts direct-injection across the board, has a core displacement of 3.0 litres, features turbocharging in most applications, and will be offered in hybrid form, too.
And a rash of diesels too, presumably?

You bet. The big question is whether VW will revive the VR6 TDI which was killed at the eleventh hour by Martin Winterkorn. With up to 300bhp and 443lb ft, this diesel engine would satisfy all prestige and performance requirements in the tightest possible package.

Coupled to the new eight-speed dry-clutch DSG box and available with four-wheel drive, the super-compact VR6 would be quite unique.
And what about the other petrol engines?

Most will combine supercharger and turbocharger technology. That means we can expect small-displacement, high-torque 1.4 and 1.6-litre TSI fours, 1.6 and 2.0-litre TDI units and – with a bit of luck – a pair of 3.0-litre VR6s at the top end of the model range.

The look of Passat v7.0 is depicted in our artist’s impression; insiders refer to it as a ‘premium’ look, with classy proportions, a sporty stance and an attention to detail worthy of a proper exec brands.

Praise be! The Passat’s going on a diet


Our engineering sources say the new Passat will go on a serious weight-saving and drag-cutting program. Downsizing does not only apply to the engines but also to components like miniature AC compressors, bonsai electric seat adjusters and new ultra-thin toughened glass.

And instead of a beefed-up steel structure, VW plans to use injected foam as a featherweight yet rock-hard means of bodywork reinforcement.
A new VW, a new raft of gadgets?

Take a deep breath. The new Passat will get: a semi-active budget-cost air suspension, a much lighter low-friction 4Motion system with dynamic torque split, airless tyres by Conti, a wiperless window cleaning system by Bosch, an active park assistant, optional rear-wheel steering (a module also to be found in MLB), 360deg cameras with multiple functions, a new set of sensors for improved lateral accident prevention, ESP with automatic countersteer assistance, adaptive cruise control which will obey speed limits, magnetic low-voltage paint which can change colour by changing the current, personalised window graphics with message function and, last but not least, lightweight, low-depth LED-film taillights/indicators. Phew.

Remember, this is the 2012 Passat, not a twenty-second century model. Pretty special stuff for a Volks-Wagen…
carmagazine

[Bartek Sikorski]

Volkswagen has confirmed that a new sedan, slightly bigger than the Passat, will be manufactured at its future Tennessee plant and will be on sale in the U.S. in time for the 2011 model year. This new car won’t replace the Passat. Instead, VW will launch its next-generation Passat, as previewed in these latest renderings, only 12 months after.

Due in early 2011, the new Passat will adopt similar styling to the recently launched CC including the sleek headlights and contoured body. The new model is also expected to grow in size, getting closer to cars like the Audi A6 and Mercedes-Benz E-Class in terms of interior space.
The car’s running gear will be based on the new modular platform design spawning the Audi A4 to A8 line of cars, but a range of unique engines will be offered. The new lineup will be dominated by VW’s next-generation of compact engines, starting with a 1.2L TSI with 105hp (80kW) followed by a similarly powered 1.6L TDI. V6 engines will still be available and will include a 260hp (194kW) 3.2L V6 and a 300hp (224kW) 3.6L unit reserved for the R36.
In 2012 Volkswagen will launch the wagon model and this could also be the year that the new R36 model joins the lineup.
In the U.S. the new Passat will be positioned higher than the current model. While the Tennessee plant’s new midsize sedan will be targeted at cars like the Chevrolet Malibu and Honda Accord, the new Passat will be aimed at more premium marques.

motorauthority

[Giannis]

Originally Posted by The Article

starting with a 1.2L TSI with 105hp

A big sedan powered by a 1.2l engine, turbo or not, sounds weird...