Volkswagen Passat (B8)


The Volkswagen Passat is a mid-size car manufactured by Volkswagen that is available in a 4-door saloon and a 5-door estate body style sold as "Variant" in some markets. It was first introduced at the Volkswagen Design Center Potsdam on 3 July 2014. The B8 is the eighth-generation model in the Volkswagen Passat series and the first passenger vehicle of Volkswagen Group to be based on a stretched version of the MQB platform.
The B8 is assembled in the Emden and Zwickau Volkswagen production plants in Germany. Sales of European domestic market models began in November 2014.
The GTE, a plug-in hybrid version, was introduced at the 2014 Paris Motor Show for sale during the second half of 2015 in Europe.

Design

Development

Being based on the MQB platform, the B8 Passat has more interior space than the last generation model despite being shorter and lower than the last generation model. The front wheels were moved forward and the wheelbase extended by resulting in a shorter front overhang and a bigger cabin. The B8 Passat weighs less than the previous version by using vacuum-formed steel. It is offered with turbocharger-equipped engines ranging from 1.4 to 2.0 liters.

Driving assists

The B8 Passat is available with optional assistance systems including "Emergency Assist", "Traffic Jam Assist" and "Trailer Assist." Emergency Assist will attempt to reactivate the driver after steering feedback has not been detected for a period of time and will also transmit warning signals to its nearby surroundings. If the reactivation has failed, the vehicle will be stopped at a safe location. Traffic Jam Assist is capable of moving the vehicle in a traffic jam as long as the average speed does not exceed. Trailer Assist allows automatic parking with an attached tow trailer.

Safety

Powertrains

The B8 Passat was initially available with two TSI petrol and four TDI diesel powertrains that produce more power than their equivalents from the B7 without changing displacement. The 2.0 TDI engine is available in three configurations, with two being equipped with selective catalytic reduction catalysators to reduce the emission of nitrogen oxide.
Every engine with the exception of the SCR-equipped 2.0 TDI engines is mated to a six-speed transmission with an optional a six-speed or seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. A 4Motion all-wheel drive drivetrain is available as standard for the strongest SCR TDI engine and optional for the weaker variant.
Every engine is based on 4Motion/BlueMotion Technology and is turbocharged inline-four. In 2015, four additional petrol and two diesel engines became available. In 2015, Passat received two more powerful petrol engines, marketing it as Passat R-Line, which was however shortly thereafter discontinued.

Passat GTE

The plug-in hybrid powertrain of the Passat GTE, previously utilised by the Volkswagen Golf GTE and Audi A3 Sportback e-tron, is featured with a larger battery pack in this model. The GTE has an 85 kW three-phase permanent magnet synchronous electric motor, coupled with a 9.9 kWh lithium-ion battery capable of an all-electric range of 50 km and a total range of 965 km. When paired with the 1.4 liter ACT-equipped TSI petrol engine, it will deliver a fuel economy of 2.0 l/100 km equivalent on the New European Driving Cycle, corresponding to CO2 emissions lower than 45g/km. Top speed is 219 km/h. UK sales began in mid-2015, with deliveries in October 2015. In the Netherlands, pre-orders were opened in early 2015 with deliveries in September 2015.

Sales

UK sales began in mid-2015, with deliveries in October 2015. In the Netherlands, pre-orders were opened in early 2015 with deliveries in September 2015.

Passat Alltrack

The Passat Alltrack was introduced late 2015 for European markets and early 2016 for Australian and New Zealand markets. The main differences for the Alltrack compared to a normal Passat Estate of added ground clearance compared to a normal Passat Estate for a total of, body cladding, and 4MOTION standard across the range. There are more smaller changes, for example matte chrome wing mirrors, underbody protection, and Alltrack badging in the front, side, and rear. There are also interior changes, mainly adding Alltrack branding. Exclusive to the Alltrack is an off-road mode in the driving mode selector. There is of boot space, 11 down from a normal Passat Estate.
Powertrains consist of one TSI and three TDI engines, carried over from the regular Passat. Only the 150 PS TDI engine is offered with a manual 6-speed gearbox, while all other models come with VW's dual-clutch DSG gearbox. The 4MOTION system used in the Alltrack is a normally front-biased Haldex system.