The Volkswagen Passat has reached the end of the road in America as the automaker has revealed the final model rolled off the assembly line in Chattanooga, Tennessee last month.
The final sedan was a Passat Limited Edition in Platinum Grey and its death isn’t surprising as Volkswagen revealed the 2022 model year would be the Passat’s last in America.
However, it’s still a bittersweet moment as more than 1.8 million Passats have been sold in the United States since 1974. Of course, it’s worth noting that number includes sales of the Dasher and Quantum as the US-spec model wasn’t called the Passat until 1990.
Also Read: VW Has Killed The Passat In America, Here Are The Best And Worst Bits From Its 47-Year History
While the first six-generations of the Passat were imported from Europe, the seventh-generation sedan was built in America and made specifically for the North American market. The sedan was significantly larger than its predecessor and was designed to offer “German engineering and styling at a competitive price.”
Unfortunately, cheap could be used to described more than its price tag and the model wasn’t well-received by critics. Despite this, consumers initially embraced the sedan as Volkswagen sold 117,023 Passats in the United States in 2012. That trend was short-lived as Americans fell in love with crossovers and sales began to fall, reaching a mere 24,396 units last year.
With the Passat out of production, the Chattanooga plant has begun gearing up to make the ID.4. An assembly launch is slated for later this year and it can’t come soon enough as Volkswagen has been struggling to keep up with demand.
