New Volkswagen Passat revealed

The new Volkswagen Passat will be available in both saloon (pictured) and estate models

‘A premium car without the premium cost’ is how Volkswagen is describing the new Passat, which has been unveiled in Germany.

The Passat is Volkswagen’s best selling car worldwide and the new eight generation model will be offered in both saloon and estate versions.

VW says the new model is ‘significantly more dynamic’ than the outgoing one, with a lower body, longer wheelbase and larger wheels.

New technologies include a fully digital instrument cluster, extendible head up display and a rear seat entertainment app-based system for tablets.

Meanwhile, Traffic Jam Assist, which combines automatic distance control and lane keeping assistance, Emergency Assist, which stops the car in an emergency; and City Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Monitoring are also available.

The new Volkswagen Passat will be available in a choice of 10 direct injection turbocharged petrol and diesel engines, ranging from 120PS to 280PS.

The Passat will also be offered for the first time as a plug-in hybrid, with a 115 kW TSI petrol engine plus 80 kW electric motor and externally chargeable battery. With a 211PS output and an all electric range of 50km, this will be Volkswagen’s most powerful plug-in hybrid.

Volkswagen board of management chair, Prof Dr Martin Winterkorn said: ‘The new Passat gives the right answers to the major automotive trends of its time.

The new Volkswagen Passat has a fully digital instrument cluster

‘For me this Passat is a premium class car without premium costs. This fits perfectly to Europe’s most successful business car.’

Volkswagen Ireland Operations Director Paul Burke said: ‘The name Passat, much like the Golf, has become a hugely significant part of the Irish motoring lexicon – it is in itself its own genre.

‘With this new, eight-generation Passat we feel that it is moving forward even further and this ever-popular family car is now more like an executive offering.

‘This new Passat really is a game changer and we expect it to be hugely popular for us in 2015.’

Orders will be taken for the new Volkswagen Passat from the end of 2014, with the first cars on the road in January 2015. Irish prices and specifications will be announced closer to launch.

Visit the Volkswagen Ireland website or its Facebook page for further details.