Featured car history
Volkswagen Passat 2015
The eighth generation model of the Passat was introduced in November 2014 in Continental Europe and in January 2015 in the United Kingdom as a four-door saloon and estate. Following other Volkswagen Group passenger vehicles such as the Volkswagen Golf Mk7, it is based on a stretched variant of the MQB platform, a modular automobile construction platform designed for transverse, front-engined cars. To reduce weight, lightweight materials such as aluminium and vacuum-formed steel have been utilised. According to the chairman of the board of Volkswagen, Martin Winterkorn, the B8 is “… a premium car without the premium price”, indicating that the Passat nameplate was moved to the compact executive car segment, as opposed to the previous generation models that were conceived as large family cars, although some auto journalists have criticised this strategy since it effectively puts the Passat in competition with the Audi A4(B9) – which is expected to move further upmarket for its B9 generation, due for launch in late 2015.
