2011 Volkswagen Passat unveiled at Paris Motor Show

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By Brett Davis | September 30th, 2010

Volkswagen has just unveiled and released details of the next generation 2011 Volkswagen Passat at the Paris Motor Show. Volkswagen has also taken a couple of videos showing the car up close, for all of us who couldn’t quite make it to France this week.

The 2011 Volkswagen Passat takes on a more mature design, which Volkswagen says was styled on the Volkswagen Phaeton luxury car. There’s also a range of new engines which Volkswagen says can save up to 18 percent fuel over the existing range, including a 1.6-litre TDI turbo diesel outputting 77kW which uses just 4.2L/100km. Not bad for a non-hybrid.

Inside, the new Volkswagen Passat gets redesigned seats, interior door trim panels and all new dash surfaces and trimming. On the technology front, the 2011 Passat also comes with Park Assist 2 which claims to not only parallel park through the use of automatic steering, but the car can also find its way into a perpendicular car park. Other new features include a navigation system which uses cameras to detect speed limits and also a button-operated retractable tow-bar.

We don’t expect the new Passat to hit Australian showrooms until next year but we’ll keep you updated with any Australian-specification info that comes through. Until then, check out the walk-around videos below for a closer look.

Exterior:

Interior:

ox

Looks heaps better than the old one, clean and sharp like a mini Phaeton. Very nice

The Dude

“prestigious aura” Is what sells these things.

The Dude

If it wasn’t for Lexus forcing the Germans to lift their game, you’d probably still have to pay extra for a CD player in a 3 series. As for Toyota they need to start making cars for people who actually enjoy driving, not just white goods on wheels, nice to see cars like the Lexus IS F though.

http://volkswagen Mal

Wagon is still the best looking. Sedan still has that clumsy tacked on look from the rear doors backwards.
Able

This is such a disappointment to look at! So dowdy… So characterless! Better drive well…

Tommy

I agree! It’s much too conservative. I must say though, I was expecting this. I hope VW being hellbent on world domination isn’t going to equate to a generation of bland, fence-sitting vehicles. I’ll reserve judgment until I see it in the metal though I guess. But my first reaction was the same as when I saw the new Golf – boring and underwhelming. And I’m a huge VW fan!

http://volkswagen Mal

Count me in too. It’s dull as dishwater. 125 diesel with a manual box and AWD and I’ll pay attention. Until then….meh!

zahmad

If you want a less conservative version, buy the CC – that’s what its built for!

Kim

Look awesome! Nice and conservative.

Only problem is that their interiors are really starting to date. I know they don’t want to eat into the Audi market share but really, they’ve got to improve their interior design.

Fit and finish is good but design of their interior is seriously dating. Now it won’t be until 2016 at least until we see better passat interiors! Ouch!
bangel

Not quite as edgy as current model , down the golf conservative road , takes it further away from audi’s aggressive feel .

That interior is very classy , no doubt quality materials, which asia only dreams of .

The Dude

The latest from Lexus is just as good, but unlike most German cars, it won’t fall apart in 5-10 years time. German cars can be nice, unfourtunately they’re not made to last beyond 10 yrs (trouble free), & then it get’s very expensive to own one.

tomasz

german cars fall apart in 5-10 years?????
…i suppose thats why german cars generally have the best resale values….thats the best indication of a cars quality..right?

Ricky

VW… always taking the cheap way out. Can’t be stuffed forking out the dough for a redesign, so they just put a new front, back, and interior (like they did on the current Golf – pathetic). Look how they flogged that Beetle for 12 years before finally putting it to rest.

zahmad

If it’s already proven and good platform, why waste money to make a new one?

The Dude

This is fascinating, a brand new car that’s clearly been compromised in the styling department so it doesn’t affect Audi sales/image. Reason enough to hate it, just like the current model.

Golfschwein

It’s not brand new. It’s a topped and tailed version of the current car with freshened interiors and engines. VW has done that with every Passat since the 1974 original, so why hate them for it? They’re in extremely good company!

The Dude

Your right, it just annoys me that you have to step up to an Audi to get a better styled vehicle.

tomasz

u’ve been compromised in the intelligence department.

Riker

Nothing wrong with this new look to the Passat. Clean lines if not slightly edgey but nicely contemporary. Has a little Skoda Octavia & Superb about it, specifically the rear 3/4 & rear views.

Good job VW, looking forward to seeing it here…
The Dude

Just looked up the R36… $70,000 plus for one of these, what a joke! A mildly fast sedan with fuddy-duddy styling for over $70,000… give me the 300c srt-8 anyday.

Golfschwein

It’s okay, Dude, we get it. Your hatred of vee dubs is as palpable as mine of Camrys, so why not look up the stuff you love instead of slagging off the dubs?

The Dude

Because I’m bored… mind your own business.

Someone

At least the Passat doesn’t look like a hearse!! It actually looks good! Unlike the Chrysler 300c SRT-8

Baddass

It doesn’t say in the article, but I’m guessing this is a major revision of the current model? The dash looks very similar, as is the overall shape and some details of the wagon especially. Looks really good, though.

zahmad

That ids correct and mentioned everywhere else CA!

Rocklord

German Camry?

Luke Skywalker

That’s what I thought when i saw it, a german version of the Toyota White Goods Camry. Sorry VW, not really impressed. Now the Passat CC – that’s a different story. Lovely looking.

Stoney!

you obviously have never driven one nor compared specs….

Even the current passat blitzes camry with 7 sp DSG and 1.8 turbo goes better and less fuel, plus the dsg can actually hold a set speed on cruise control unlike camry’s indecisive gearbox constantly fluctuating set speed up hills +/- 5km/h. Something that i hated massively.

Stoney!

Rocklord

The people this is marketed to will love it. As for me? I’m getting very sleepy…zzzzzz
Shak

When they said they wanted to beat Toyota at their own game, i didnt think they meant they actually wanted to play from Toyota’s playbook. C’mon while the old one looked a bit frumpy, it had individuality, this is just a Mini Phaeton down to every crevice. I guess the Audi Philosophy is moving down through the whole VW empire.
robbo

Front looks like the current Aurion. Is it me or has the interior not changed much?

Stoney!

While the light take a similar shape (and i say that very lightly) the are much harder rakes at looking nothing like aurion head lights.

Stoney!

Sam 300TD

We seem to let ourselves be convinced that we need the new model with the 5% better economy and the extra safety and the improved sound proofing. But hang on, in 2 years the next model will be 10% more efficient and even safer etc etc etc. Is yesterday’s model so passe and such a dangerous, fuel guzzling relic that it is no good to use any more? 3 years ago they had us believe it was the best thing ever! “Evolution end here” remember that one?

Buying a great old car was the best thing I ever did. Depreciation is the usually the most expensive part of owning a vehicle. It doesn’t have to be…..
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1435885244 Yani Hendriawan

it’s too average
Kelvin

it looks like VW reverse engineer from Skoda’s Superb…the rear looks exactly the same as the Superb
Jonty

For the target market this will work well…a grown up golf.
Smithy

Not sure what I was expecting, but this IS MIND NUMBINGLY BORING. Then you get to the interior and it’s actually worse. This must be the most bland boring interior of any vehicle worldwide.
This car will sell, but based on it’s tech and engineering, not style, because it simply does not have ANY.

Is it any wonder cars such as Ford’s Focus sell so well? Engineering tech AND style in the one package.
Tofuman

Maybe it’s because I am an old bugger… but I think the design is spot on LOL!
LukasUtopia

Makes the Passat CC look fantastic. The question is why people will buy this? People who put style over reliability buy Alfa Romeo 159s or the like, people who put reliability over style buy Toyota Camrys or the like. I think then the type of people who would buy this then would be the type wanting to get a psuedo A4 for $15,000 less. Will it sell well (in Europe), probably, but will people brag about the appearance, probably not.

Myself – I’d rather a more interestingly-designed saloon.
Save It for the track

Even though VW sells globally, they still predominantly design and build for their home market. And for the Germans that buy Passats, it’s perfect.
dgal

will the new model passat offer 4 motion with the diesel
ohreally

INTRODUCING… the new volkswagen AURION!!!
PGW

Desperately dull!! I’ve been waiting so long to see the new Passat and had great hopes. Really disappointing aesthetics – way too bland.
Nelly Potato

I was reaaly looking forward to getting one of these. Unfortunately, I don’t want a diesel, the V6 is a bit out of my price range and the base model….?

Well, it has the same power and torque as my much lighter Golf 118TSI. I am very happy with the performance of the Golf, but don’t want to go slower

The base passat should have been releaed with the 2.0 TSI out of the GTI (as it is avalable in Europe), that would have been perfect, at very little extra cost, if any.

The 2.0 TSI would also make it more competitive against the updated Ford Mondeo, which will have 149kW and 300Nm as of midyear.

The other thing I would like to see is the avalability of a manul or at least a proper automatic.

The slightly quicker shifts and slightly higher efficiency of DSG over a good torque converter auto are really irrelevent and not noticeable in real worl driving. However jerkyness at low speeds is a problem very day.

Had a DSG for a day as a lone car…..and was delighted to hand it back.

So 2.0TSI manual Passatt please Would have placed my order already