All-new Passat moves upmarket

Bigger, sleeker Volkswagen gains new tech for ninth-generation estate-only model

- GREG KABLE

Volkswagen has marked the 50th anniversary of its hugely popular Passat with the unveiling of the slick ninth-generation model, which provides a combustion-powered alternative to the similarly sized ID 7 EV.

Set for UK sale later this year, it will be sold exclusively in estate form with a choice of updated four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, together with new plug-in hybrid drivetrains that offer an electric range of more than 62 miles thanks to a larger-capacity battery.

Twinned with the upcoming third-generation Skoda Superb-alongside which it will be built in Slovenia - the new Passat is the first in a series of Volkswagen models based on an updated version of the MQB Evo architecture.

The revised platform, also used by the upcoming third-generation Volkswagen Tiguan, has received a number of significant upgrades, including a stiffer rear axle carrier that is claimed to improve rolling refinement and control. It has also been designed around the need to accommodate an electrified drivetrain, meaning the Passat gets significantly more advanced connectivity and chassis functions than its predecessor.

The Passat retains MacPherson-strut front and multi-link rear suspension but it has been heavily reworked with new two-valve dampers and Volkswagen's new Vehicle Dynamics Manager system in a bid to deliver added comfort and a greater breadth of driving characteristics between the various driving modes.