The B8 Volkswagen Passat facelift has been spotted
once more in prototype form, and again the front and rear sections of the
executive sedan are wrapped in camouflage vinyl. It’s unlikely that the Passat will get the exact same look as the
Arteon, although the lower bumper appears eerily similar.
We can look forward to a pair of redesigned
headlights and LED daytime running lights, as well as a larger radiator grille
with twin horizontal bars and thin vertical slats. Behind, it will also get
updated LED tail lights, a new bumper as well as updated exhaust design.
The Passat facelift is said to be launched in 2019,
and word is the range-topping Passat R will get a turbocharged V6 engine, and
that the base 1.4 litre TSI petrol engine will be succeeded by the marque’s
latest 1.5 litre TSI Evo engine. The new four-cylinder engine can be had in two
tunes – 130 PS or 150 PS.
The engine is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch
DSG gearbox and comes with an ‘eco-coasting’ mode, thanks to an onboard 12-volt
electrical system. It’s classified as a micro-hybrid, where the engine gets
shut off completely and is decoupled from the drivetrain. This powertrain
option however, is not confirmed for the Passat as yet.
The Passat GTE plug-in hybrid is
rumoured to get a longer pure electric range that is beyond the existing 50-km
threshold. The outgoing model gets a 154 hp 1.4 litre TSI engine that’s married
to a 113 hp/330 Nm electric motor for a combined output of 215 hp and 400 Nm of
torque.
The electric motor is housed within the six-speed
DSG and is juiced by a 9.9 kWh lithium-ion battery. As it is, Volkswagen said
the PHEV system provides a total petrol+electric range of nearly 1,000 km, so
the facelift model could well break that four figure mark.
Cr : Paultsn
