With the new Passat Variant R-Line Edition, Volkswagen is killing two birds with one stone: celebrating the launch of the facelifted iteration and marking almost 30 million units of the family car that have been sold over the years.

Announced for the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, it will go on sale in Europe in two months time, with production capped at 2,000 units. All of them come with the brand’s 4Motion all-wheel drive system and are powered by the optional 240 PS diesel or 272 PS petrol engine.


Visually, the Passat Variant R-Line Edition sports a Moonstone Grey finish. The design is highlighted by a number of high-gloss black elements such as the roof, side window frames, headlight rims, rear diffuser and 19-inch alloy wheels. The roof rails, side mirror caps, roof-mounted spoiler and LED taillights also have a black look.

The same scheme has been used inside, where black is the dominant color. The car features front R-Line sports seats with fine-quality Nappa leather in the center and carbon leather used for the side bolster, plus stainless steel pedals and side sills, and new ambient lighting.


Volkswagen says the limited edition mid-size estate is equipped with a wide range of standard items, including the Digital Cockpit, 9.2-inch infotainment system with integrated SIM card and others. iPhone users can wirelessly integrate their smartphones into the system via Bluetooth, using Apple CarPlay.

The LED Matrix headlights, Area View camera system and DCC adaptive damper control system are also part of the package, as is the Travel Assist, a function that provides semi-autonomous driving at speeds of up to 210 km/h. This feature works by combining the front camera, Front Assist pedestrian monitoring system, Park Assist, Side Assist lane changing system and Adaptive Cruise Control, and requires drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel at all times.