VW Passat grows in size, drops dials for screen-based controls

Volkswagen has swapped out dials and switches for touchscreen controls in the interior of its new Passat midsize car.

Now in its ninth generation, the Passat will be sold in Europe only as a station wagon, with the sedan version dropped. Buyers are switching from midsize sedans to SUVs and crossovers but wagons are still popular in VW's home market of Germany.

It will offer two plug-in hybrid models alongside diesel and gasoline drivetrains when it launches in the first quarter of 2024, VW said in a statement on Thursday.

The Passat will have its public debut during the IAA Mobility auto show in Munich from Sept. 5 to 10.

The model has been designed alongside the upcoming Skoda Superb midsize car and will be built in the same VW Group factory in Bratislava, Slovakia, in a shift from the Passat’s current production site of Emden, Germany, which is building the Passat-sized VW ID7 all-electric car.

The Passat uses VW Group's new, fourth-generation MIB4 infotainment and control system with a touchscreen-based set-up for features such as volume control and temperature settings.

VW says the MIB4, which is also used in the ID7, addresses useability issues raised by some customers for the third-generation system that was first rolled out in the ID3 full-electric hatchback

The new Superb – due next year - is also expected to use MIB4 but Skoda has shown pictures of the interior showing that the brand has shifted some of the operations such as heating and volume control to programmable rotary dials below the screen.

On the new Passat, the volume slider below the 12.9-inch screen (a bigger 15-inch screen is optional) is now illuminated while on the screen itself popular functions are displayed on bars at the top and bottom of the display. The top bar is programmable.

The central screen tilts towards the driver and is now at the same height as the ‘digital cockpit’ screen behind the steering wheel.

The car is also available with a head-up display.

VW has dropped manual gearboxes from the Passat. The model now has DSG direct-shift transmission as standard. That has allowed the brand to move the gearshift from the central control to the steering column, creating more storage space between the front occupants.

More legroom, cargo space

The Passat wagon is 4,917-mm long, 144 mm longer than its predecessor. The wheelbase is 50 mm longer at 2,841 mm, which VW says creates 50 mm more legroom for rear passengers. Trunk space with the seats is 690 liters, an increase of 40 liters compared with the outgoing model.

The car is built on the VW Group’s MQB Evo platform, an adaptation of the MQB that allows more technology such as a bigger battery for the plug-in hybrid model as well as adaptive chassis control.

The battery size for the eHybrid plug-in hybrid models has increased to a useable 19.7 kilowatt-hours, up from 10.6 kWh, to give a claimed electric range of 100 km (62 miles). The eHybrid is available with either 204 hp or 272 hp and both are mated to a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline, up from 1.4-liters previously.

VW will also introduce a mild-hybrid model using the same 1.5-liter engine mated to a 48-volt electric drive system. No economy or carbon dioxide figures were given for the hybrid models.

The Passat will also be available with a 2.0-liter turbo gasoline engine with two power outputs and a 2.0-liter diesel with three power outputs, depending on the market. The highest output versions of the gasoline and diesel come with all-wheel drive.

Design changes

The design of the car has been updated. Notable changes include the addition of a light bar running the length of the tailgate and an LED light strip running under the edge of the hood to join the front headlights.

VW says the new Passat is much improved aerodynamically and quotes a drag coefficient of 0.25 cD compared to 0.31 for the outgoing wagon.

Aero optimization includes an electrically controlled radiator blind that reduces cooling when not needed.

Equipment available on the car includes massage seats, automatic parking and Travel Assist semi-autonomous driving. All models come with adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, lane change assist and a rear parking camera.