VW reveals new Passat

Volkswagen has released the first pictures of its new Passat, well ahead of the car’s debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2005. No hatchback model will be offered.

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• Geneva Motor Show 2004

Volkswagen has released the first pictures of its new Passat, well ahead of the car’s debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2005. No hatchback model will be offered.

The new Ford Mondeo rival goes on sale in the UK in summer 2005 and is likely to cost from around £14,500. Estate models should appear by the end of 2005.

From launch, the manufacturer says it will offer four engines. There will be a 114bhp 1.6-litre and a 148bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine, plus 104bhp 1.9-litre and 138bhp 2.0-litre diesels.

The Direct Shift Gearbox, which provides fast and smooth automatic or semi-manual shifts, will be available soon after launch on diesel models. The 2.0-litre petrol version will have the option of a six-speed automatic transmission. Four-wheel-drive 4Motion models will follow later in the year.

The car is 62mm longer, increasing to 4770mm, and the wheelbase has increased by 6mm to 2710mm, so Volkswagen promises more room in the cabin. The 565-litre boot swallows 90 litres more luggage than before.

Volkswagen has said the body of the new Passat is far stiffer than the current model. This, combined with sophisticated rear suspension design, should make the newcomer much more enjoyable to drive than the previous model.

The manufacturer has said the interior quality is now at the top of its class. Equipment includes high-tech dual-zone climate control, high-end sound systems and Bluetooth telephone equipment.

The new Passat is the first of Volkswagen’s production models to feature the bold chrome grille seen on the Concept C and Concept R design studies.