Ninth-gen Volkswagen Passat gets a new MQB platform; expected debut in 2023

KUALA LUMPUR: Presently, Volkswagen Passat is the brand's oldest surviving model born in 1972, two years ahead of the Golf. Since then, the company has sold around 30 million Passats, but the decline in sales of sedans in most international markets had put the Passat's future in doubt. Fortunately, the demand from China changed the automaker's mind and it gave a green light for the ninth-generation Volkswagen Passat.

Currently, the two versions of the sedan are available in different markets. In Europe, the automaker is selling the Passat based on the MQB platform, while in other countries, including Malaysia, the sedan is still based on the previous-generation platform. Well, all the ninth-gen Passats will ride on an updated MQB platform all over the globe, as per the Autocar report.

The new platform is said to be more advanced than the ongoing version that even allows engineers to build a fully-electric Passat. It will accommodate hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery-electric powertrains, as well as AWD and FWD configurations. 

In terms of body styles, the wagon body will be retained along with the Alltrack. However, sedan might be transitioned with the popular liftback style that we have already seen on the Arteon coupe.

The upcoming Passat is likely to be taller and broader than the ongoing model to differentiate it from the sleeker VW Arteon. "With Arteon, we already have a style leader in the segment. This leaves the door open for the Passat to become even more space-oriented than today's model," an insider told Autocar.

Also read: Volkswagen Arteon R-Line is now available in Malaysia, price starts at RM 221,065

Volkswagen plans to roll out the new Passat in the United Kingdom in 2023, which would coincide with the model's European debut. It means other markets will have to wait longer.

In Malaysia, Volkswagen is currently selling the sedan in three variants- Elegance, United, and recently launched R-Line. The price for the base variant starts at RM 181,856, while for the Passat R-Line, bookings are opened for an estimated price falling between RM 200,000 to RM 210,000.

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