With 30 million units made all over the world in 46 years, the Volkswagen Passat is the brand’s second most popular model after the Golf (35 million units), surpassing even the iconic Beetle (21.5 million).
The anniversary vehicle rolled off the assembly line at the Emden plant in Germany on April 3, and it’s a Passat GTE Variant. The plug-in hybrid estate has a Pyrite Silver Metallic finish on the outside and will be used as a press car for international media over the next few months.
“The Passat is one of Volkswagen’s most important and most successful cars – since its launch 46 years ago, 30 million customers have had confidence in this Volkswagen vehicle”, said COO Ralf Brandstatter. “As a result, the Passat has become one of the world’s greats; a car which today is as much as home in Beijing as it is in Berlin, Sydney, Johannesburg or on the streets of San Francisco.”
Also Watch: Is The Euro 2017 VW Passat Estate The Ideal Family Car?
The Passat is sold in different versions globally, with the most advanced one currently on sale being Europe’s 2020MY. The facelifted Euro-spec Passat was unveiled a couple of months ago and displayed at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. It sports updated styling, new wheels and exterior colors, as well as different upholstery, new trim finishes and a restyled steering wheel inside. Moreover, the 11.7-inch digital instrument cluster has been enhanced and a new infotainment system, with three different screen sizes, has been added.
As for the latest Passat GTE, it comes with a 1.4-liter TSI petrol engine and an electric motor. The total output produced by the plug-in hybrid powertrain is 218 PS (215 hp / 160 kW). More importantly, it meets the Euro 6d emission standard that will apply to all new cars sold on the Old Continent from 2021.
The first Passat was built at Wolfsburg on May 14, 1973. It replaced the VW 1600 with its air-cooled, rear engine and rear-wheel drive and had a modern, for the time, all-steel chassis, front-wheel drive and water-cooled engines.
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