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VW's next Passat - details

Volkswagen has revealed some technical details of its new Passat sedan and estate ahead of its unveiling in July 2014 and public premiere at the 2014 Paris auto show in October.

"The eighth-generation Passat will," VW says, "bring a range of new technologies and features to ensure that even after 41 years and more than 23-million sales worldwide it remains as competitive as ever."

VW adds that its Passat will be as much as 85kg lighter than its predecessors, one facet of efforts to reduce overall fuel consumption among its cars by as much as 20%. The weight loss is in part due to the use of "hot-formed steel" and aluminium in its structure.

DIESEL POWER

While the cars will be dimensionally smaller overall, VW says, leg and headroom and boot space have expanded.

The star among the available engines is likely to be a four-cylinder 2-0-litre bi-turbo diesel capable of 180kW/500Nm mated to a new seven-speed direct-shift gearbox and all-wheel drive.

The Passat can also be powered by a plug-in hybrid capable of "a theoretical 50km on its battery pack alone" and a maximum of about 960km on diesel and hybrid power will also be in the gift pack

The usual instrument clusters will, VW says, be replaced by a 31cm display-configurable "active info display" and a windscreen data display. More info will come from a 360-degree camera coverage of the car's surroundings.

Self-parking will have been improved (as an extra-cost option) to cover not only parallel roadside slots to vertical slots - such as in a car park. By extension, computerised trailer-reversing guidance will be introduced.

HEADED FOR SA

New Passats will have diode-lit rear lights and either halogen or diode headlights, the latter with the now becoming common ability to create light patterns that will not dazzle oncoming drivers.

More details and first pictures of the Passat will be available in early July. When wheels24.co.za gets them, so will you. Should be interesting...

Once the hype has died down first deliveries can be expected in early 2015.
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