This year, Volkswagen will bring significant updates
to both the North American and the European Passats. The first to arrive will be the
U.S.-spec Passat, which will debut at the Detroit Auto Show later this month.
VW has already started the teasing campaign for the new midsize sedan and has
so far shown some sporty-looking design sketches.
As it is usually the case, those are overly
optimistic and the final product will be toned down in comparison to them. For
the first teaser of the actual car, VW has decided to give us a look at the
alloys. In a Twitter post, Volkswagen USA reveals a 19-inch two-tone wheel shod
with 235/40 R19 Continental ContiProContact tires.
While the five-spoke wheel looks nice, the tweet
itself is more interesting. “Fact: In 2018, over 4.25 million sedans were sold
in the U.S. Stay tuned” reads the accompanying text which likely hints at VW’s
decision to stick with sedans in North America. Unlike domestic carmakers like
Ford and General Motors, the German automaker seems determined to keep up
offering sedans in the United States while developing its SUV range at the same
time.
So what new things is the 2020 Passat going to
bring? Well, unlike the new Passat unveiled in China last year, it won’t switch
to the MQB platform. The updated model will ride on the same platform as its
predecessor, retaining its 2,804 mm wheelbase — the Chinese-spec car
has a 2,871 mm wheelbase due to local buyers’ preference for LWB models.
Unfortunately, this means the 2020 Passat will
essentially be an eight-year-old car with a newly-styled body. It will be
available with a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline four upgraded to produce 174
hp and 280 Nm of torque, and the only transmission option
will be a six-speed automatic. As for the 280 hp 3.6-liter VR6 engine recently
dropped from the 2019 Passat, reports indicate it won’t be offered on the 2020
model either.
