New-gen Volkswagen Passat production begins in India, to launch later this year
German car manufacturer, Volkswagen, today announced the starting of production of the new-gen Passat in India at the company's Aurangabad plant. The new-gen Volkswagen Passat will be launched in the country later this year. The premium sedan will be an important offering for the company being a flagship offering as well as the sedan from Volkswagen to be based on the MQB platform.
Volkswagen had already showcased the plug-in hybrid version of the new-gen Passat at the 2016 Auto Expo in India. We have already driven this mode, click here to read our Volkswagen Passat GTE first drive review. The eight-generation Passat was unveiled globally in 2014. In its new form, the Volkswagen Passat gets a revolutionary design change when compared to its previous iteration model. The company has already been testing the model in India for quite some time now. The 2017 VW Passat now measures 2mm shorter and has an extended wheelbase of 79mm, which VW claims offers a more spacious cabin and boot. VW has also managed to shave off 80kg from the Passat.
The 2017 Volkswagen Passat will be powered by a 177PS 2.0-litre TDI motor mated to a 6-speed DSG automatic gearbox. Read our new-gen Volkswagen Passat first drive review here. The company has not let out any additional information on a petrol motor or a manual transmission. The GTE plug-in hybrid, sold in the international market, comes with a 115PS electric motor and a 156PS 1.4-litre turbo-charged petrol engine mated to a 6-speed DSG gearbox. The combined power outputs for the system are 218PS and 400Nm. VW has also stated that the plug-in hybrid also qualifies the EU 6 emission norms.
The 2017 Volkswagen Passat will compete with the likes of Honda Accord, Skoda Superb and the Toyota Camry in the premium sedan segment.