Skip to content
Close menu
Top Links
back
Top Links
Newsroom
01/16/19
Wolfsburg (D)
Models
Story

The most successful midsize car

The Passat is the most successful midsize car in the world. In 2019, it is set to become the first in its segment to cross the threshold of 30 million units sold.

Volkswagen Passat Alltrack
Archive

Elegant, comfortable, confident: For more than four decades, the Volkswagen brand has had a true endurance standout with the Passat. Designed for both families and professionals who put in a lot of miles on the road, the all-rounder with 29 million units sold has become the most successful midsize and company car in the world. Today the Passat is not only sold on every continent, it is also built in countless production facilities around the world. Unique versions and variants have emerged in Europe, China and the US.

1973: Market launch

The Passat demonstrated its dynamic personality immediately after being launched in 1973. For, as designed by Italian car designer Giorgio Giugiaro, the first Passat was – with its two or four doors and large tailgate – a hatchback sedan more versatile than any Volkswagen that had come before. At the same time, the Passat was at 4.19 meters in length not only shorter than the current T-Roc, it was also impressively spacious – a trend that continued in 1974 with the even more spacious Passat Estate.

Passat first generation (hatchback saloon, 1973)
Archive
The Passat was introduced in 1973. Here you can see the first model, produced until 1980.
Passat (1987)
Archive
The second generation of the Passat was built from 1980 until 1988.
Passat GT (1988)
Archive
The third generation can be seen here. It was introduced in 1988 and produced until 1993.

As time went by, the Passat continued to keep up with groundbreaking technological advancements in the automotive industry – from anti-lock brake systems to the intelligently networked assistance systems of recent times. The Passat GLi Estate introduced in 1979, for example, made automotive history as the first German sports station wagon. With the Passat W8 in 2001, Volkswagen revolutionized engine design. For the first time, the car’s eight cylinders were no longer situated in a row but rather in two cylinder banks positioned side by side to save space.

Passat VR6 (1993)
Archive
The fourth generation followed from 1993 to 1997
Product: Passat (1996)
Archive
Already one year before the end of the fourth generation, the fifth generation was introduced in 1996
Volkswagen Passat 4MOTION
Archive
The fifth generation was replaced in 2005.

Eight generations over more than four decades

Today, over eight model generations, the Passat has grown to a length of 4.88 meters .

The most successful midsize car

Thanks to its successful design of stylish elegance and dynamic power, it was awarded one of the most prestigious honors in the design world in 2015: the “iF gold award” in the category “product”. The Passat’s interior also impresses with its modern and stylish appointments – from the use of high-quality materials to the application of digital assistance systems and its roomy dimensions. All this makes for a comfortable long-distance vehicle. Today, both the Passat hatchback and the estate are available in versions featuring not only conventional combustion engines, but also plug-in hybrid drive systems5/6/7 that enable the Passat to function as an electrically powered zero-emission vehicle for short periods in primarily urban environments.

Thanks to its successful design of stylish elegance and dynamic power, it was awarded one of the most prestigious honors in the design world in 2015: the “iF gold award” in the category “product”. The Passat’s interior also impresses with its modern and stylish appointments – from the use of high-quality materials to the application of digital assistance systems and its roomy dimensions. All this makes for a comfortable long-distance vehicle. Today, both the Passat hatchback and the estate are available in versions featuring not only conventional combustion engines, but also plug-in hybrid drive systems5/6/7 that enable the Passat to function as an electrically powered zero-emission vehicle for short periods in primarily urban environments.

Volkswagen Passat
Archive
The seventh generation was presented in 2010.
Archive
With the eighth generation presented in 2014, the car has grown to a length of 4.88 metres. Production preparations for a new generation are already underway.
Additional variations are: The GTE and the GTE Variant ...
Volkswagen Passat Alltrack
Archive
... as well as the Variant Alltrack.

But the Passat has also been a hit outside of Europe as well. For example, the midsize hatchback, which is manufactured for the American market at the Chattanooga plant in Tennessee, was named “Best Car of the Year” in 2011. At the 2019 Detroit Motor Show, Volkswagen will present the second generation of the US version of the notchback models, which, unlike in Europe, are not produced using the Modular Transverse Toolkit (MQB), but rather are still based on the PQ46 platform of the first US version of the Passat. And in late 2018, a new version of the Passat was also announced in China.

The first generation of the US version was voted "Car Of The Year" in 2011. A facelift was applied in 2015.
The most successful midsize car
The second generation of the US version will be presented at the current Detroit Motor Show.

Looking to cross the 30-million threshold in 2019

In late 2019, preparations to produce a new Passat in Europe will get underway at the Emden plant in northern Germany. The new Passat will feature new drive-system, light, assistance and infotainment technologies as well as a whole new level of online services. The first milestone along the way ahead: crossing the 30-million threshold. After the Golf (with 35 million units sold) and ahead of the Beetle (21.5 million sold), the Passat is one of the three most successful models in Volkswagen history.

More on the topic

(Missing image)

Story: Variety of Passat

Read more
Back to top
Topics
Press
Service
Subscription Services

The Volkswagen Newsroom is an open platform and offers comprehensive search options to all users.

If you would like to be kept informed about our press releases and stories you can also subscribe to our media information and e-mail newsletters.

Sign up
Products as well as Volkswagen AG distributors can be found at: www.volkswagen.de
© Volkswagen 2022

The specified fuel consumption and emission data have been determined according to the measurement procedures prescribed by law. Since 1st September 2017, certain new vehicles are already being type-approved according to the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP), a more realistic test procedure for measuring fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Starting on September 1st 2018, the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) will be replaced by the WLTP in stages. Owing to the more realistic test conditions, the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions measured according to the WLTP will, in many cases, be higher than those measured according to the NEDC. For further information on the differences between the WLTP and NEDC, please visit www.volkswagen.de/wltp.

We are currently still required by law to state the NEDC figures. In the case of new vehicles which have been type-approved according to the WLTP, the NEDC figures are derived from the WLTP data. It is possible to specify the WLTP figures voluntarily in addition until such time as this is required by law. In cases where the NEDC figures are specified as value ranges, these do not refer to a particular individual vehicle and do not constitute part of the sales offering. They are intended exclusively as a means of comparison between different vehicle types. Additional equipment and accessories (e.g. add-on parts, different tyre formats, etc.) may change the relevant vehicle parameters, such as weight, rolling resistance and aerodynamics, and, in conjunction with weather and traffic conditions and individual driving style, may affect fuel consumption, electrical power consumption, CO2 emissions and the performance figures for the vehicle.

Further information on official fuel consumption figures and the official specific CO2 emissions of new passenger cars can be found in the “Guide on the fuel economy, CO2 emissions and power consumption of new passenger car models”, which is available free of charge at all sales dealerships and from DAT Deutsche Automobil Treuhand GmbH, Hellmuth-Hirth-Str. 1, D-73760 Ostfildern, Germany and at www.dat.de.