New Passat

Media Launch

Port Elizabeth, October 2015

INTRODUCTION

Volkswagen unveiled the all-new Passat at the Volkswagen Design Centre in Potsdam, Germany in July 2014, ahead of the car making its public debut at the Paris Motor Show in October that year. This is the eighth-generation of the Passat, which since launch in 1973 has racked up over 22 million sales worldwide.

Everything in this car is new: its design, technologies and engines. The Passat sets new standards with an unladen weight that has been reduced by up to 85 kg and fuel economy figures that have been improved by up to 14 per cent.

At 4,767 mm long, the new Passat is two millimetres shorter than the previous model, while the wheelbase is 79 mm longer at 2,791 mm and therefore the body overhangs significantly shorter. At the same time, the new Passat is 14 mm lower at 1,456 mm, and 12 mm wider at 1,832 mm.

Despite exterior dimensions that are actually marginally smaller than those of the previous Passat, interior space is improved, with more leg- and head-room, as well as increased luggage space.

Only petrol engines are available at launch. These are 1.4 TSI 110kW, 1.8 TSI 132kW and 2.0 TSI 162kW. The 1.4 TSI is available with 6-speed transmission as standard and optional 7-speed DSG. The 1.8 TSI is offered with 7-speed DSG transmission as standard. Meanwhile, the 2.0 TSI is mated to a 6-speed DSG transmission. The 2.0 TDI 130kW engine will be available from the second half of 2016.

At launch, two trim levels are offered: Comfortline andHighline. All derivatives offer a high level of standard features with highlights including Multi-Collision Braking System, Fatigue Detection (Driver Alert),Park Distance Control (front and rear), LED taillights, Alcantara/Vienna leather seats (Highline and R-Line), multifunction leather steering wheel with gearshift paddles for DSG derivatives and three-zone Climatronic air-conditioner (optional in Comfortline).

The interior has been developed to match the sophisticated exterior of the eighth-generation Passat. New technologies to be offered on the new Passat include the optional Active Info Display (available with the 8.0-inch Discover Pro Satellite Navigation system) which replaces the instrument cluster with a fully configurable interactive 12.3-inch TFT display and a head-up display (available early in 2016); the Composition Media Infotainment and the latest generation of Park Assist. This newly developed Park Assist includes an option for the car to park itself forwards into perpendicular spaces – useful, for example at supermarket car parks, where access to the boot is important.

Summary

  • All-new Passat made Paris Show debut on in October 2014, 41 years after the original. Over 22 million Passats have been sold worldwide since 1973
  • All-new Passat retails from R378 800 for 1.4 TSI 110kW Manual
  • Thanks to its innovative lightweight design, the new Passat is up to 85 kg lighter than the previous model. Yet it has a longer wheelbase (+79 mm at 2,791 mm) and more interior space
  • Petrol-only range from launch: 1.4 TSI 110KW, 1.8 TSI 132kW and 2.0 TSI 162kW
  • Transmissions: 1.4 TSI (6-speed manual standard and 7-speed DSG optional); 1.8 TSI (7-speed DSG) and 2.0 TSI (6-speed DSG)
  • A 2.0 TDI 130kW engine will be available from the second half of 2016
  • Two derivatives from launch: Comfortline and Highline. All derivatives offer a high level of standard features with highlights including Multi-Collision Braking System, Fatigue Detection/Driver Alert system, Park Distance Control (front and rear), LED taillights, Alcantara/Vienna leather seats (Highline and R-Line), multifunction leather steering wheel with gearshift paddles and three-zone Climatronic air-conditioner.
  • New optional features include: Active Info Display, Head-up display

The MQB platform

The new Passat uses as its base the Volkswagen Group’s MQB (ModularerQuerbaukasten) platform or Modular Transverse Matrix. The introduction of the MQB strategy represents a turning point in the design and production of future automobiles with transverse-mounted engines as it standardises many vehicle component parameters – across brands and vehicle classes – and at the same time, it offers access to new technologies.

The MQB extends through a number of vehicle segments. At the Volkswagen brand,itis currently used for Polo and Golf.

One of the prominent characteristics of the Modular Transverse Matrix is the uniform mounting position of all engines. Two systems integrated in the MQB strategy which play a key role here are the modular petrol engine system (MOB) and the modular diesel engine system (MDB).

By introducing these new engines, the number of engine and gearbox variants offered by the Group will be reduced by around 90 per cent, without restricting choice. On the contrary; in addition to standardising conventional internal combustion engines, the MQB also enables an identical mounting position for all current alternative drive concepts without limitations – from natural gas and hybrid versions to pure electric drive.

DESIGN

Need to know:

  • New car, new design: striking features are the car’s sporty proportions and powerful lines
  • New Passat is 4,767 mm long (-2 mm), 1,832 mm wide (+12 mm) and 1,456 mm high (-14 mm); although the car’s length is almost identical, the wheelbase has been extended by 79 mm to 2,791 mm
  • Wheels are larger and extend out further, enabling the car’s overhangs to be significantly shortened
  • The passenger compartment’s shift to the rear and the elongated appearance of the bonnet re-enforces the look and feel of a high-class model
  • Designed by a team led by Volkswagen’s Head of Design, Klaus Bischoff

Exterior

Dimensions

The new Passat is 4,767 mm long and therefore 2 mm shorter than the previous model. At the same time, its wheelbase has been lengthened by the aforementioned 79 mm to 2,791 mm. The front wheels have been moved 29 mm towards the front bumper, and the rear wheels 17 mm towards the rear bumper (the occupant cell has been lengthened by 33 mm). The result: shorter body overhangs (67 mm less at front, 13 mm less at rear). At the same time, the Passat has been made 14 mm lower (1,456 mm) and 12 mm wider (1,832 mm).

Pure dimensions aside, with the new optimised engine orientation, it was possible to lower significantly the bonnet and shift the windscreen towards the rear, and this ‘cab backward design’ helps to re-enforce the impression of a premium-class car. Extremely precisely drawn edges and creases which develop individual light-reflecting surfaces help to continue this impression. At the front, the new Passat’s radiator grille features four chrome bars which bend inward towards the headlights in a trapezoidal shape. The lowermost chrome bar of the grille is continued into the headlights.

Immediately noticeable at the rear is that the cab has a strong inward sweep, and at the bottom it transitions into the wide, flared shoulder section. The rear lights have been made considerably wider and leaner. In this area, the new Passat features a large bootlid surface, and a distinctive crease beneath the rear lights that extends across the rear.

All Passat derivatives have LED rear lights, while the Highline and R-Line feature a distinctive horizontal tail light signature that switches over to a vertically oriented brake light signature under braking. Standard headlights are halogen.Whilst LED headlights with dynamic cornering lights and LED daytime running lights are available as an option.

Weight reduction

The new Passat is based on the modular transverse matrix (MQB) which exploits synergies across vehicle segments such as progress in weight reduction measures. The result: the eighth generation Passat weighs up to 85 kg less than the previous model thanks to reductions in the chassis, power units, electrics, vehicle body and trim.

The weight of the chassis was reduced primarily through the use of lightweight metals. The rear axle, for example, weighs 4.7 kg less and the steering system 2.2 kg less and overall, the chassis was made up to 9 kg lighter.

The engines used in the Passat weigh appreciably less than in the previous model with total weight savings here of up to 40 kg. Aluminium makes the electrical components, electronics and thereby the overall electrical system lighter, while wire gauges were also optimised, meaning overall, up to 3 kg was saved. Ultra-high strength and hot-formed steels reduce the weight of the car body, and for the first time in a Passat, aluminium was also used in the body structure. Advanced materials and a new air conditioner led to weight savings in equipment. In total, the entire superstructure was made up to 33 kg lighter.

Improved properties

Despite the weight reduction, improvements were made in body rigidity (a gain of 30,000 Nm/°). It is also a fact that around half of a vehicle’s fuel consumption is used to overcome sources of driving resistance – weight, air drag, rolling resistance – and this makes the progress made in lowering the weight of the Passat by up to 85 kg all the more significant.

Interior

Need to know:

  • Although the new Passat is 2 mm shorter, interior length has grown by 33 mm
  • New Passat is the first Volkswagen with an Active Info Display and Head-up display
  • Central design element of the dashboard is a functional yet decorative innovative air vent that extends across the entire width of the interior

Dimensions and design

Although the new Passat is 2 mm shorter than the previous model, interior length has grown by 33 mm. Cargo capacities is 479 litres with full size spare wheel.

The goal defined when development began of creating a feeling of lightness and generous space in the interior was realised by the designers with a lean dashboard with a consistent horizontal structure, and the front door panels are stylistically incorporated into this design. The central design element of the dashboard is an innovative air vent that extends across the entire width of the interior like a band and is designed as a functional decorative element. There are no separately placed air nozzles in the new Passat, rather one continuous element that is only interrupted by the instruments and the analogue clock in the middle of the dashboard. The clear architectural character is created by the impressive length of the chrome fins integrated in the air vents and a decorative panel integrated beneath it. The dimensions of the air vent not only affect the design of the dashboard but also have a positive effect on climate control performance and ventilation acoustics.

The designers placed special importance on a driver-oriented design and a very spacious feeling for the front interior area. Therefore, starting from the driver’s seating position, the dashboard builds upwards in the space to the two sides of the instruments, inclined slightly towards the windscreen. This creates a spacious feeling as well as an ideal ergonomic environment. The centre console also has an extremely clean layout, is well organised, and the controls are easy to access. The infotainment system is integrated high on the console and is easy to see; the climate controls are positioned beneath it. Since the console between the driver and front passenger is inclined up towards the infotainment system, the gear shift gate is up high, and the gear knob is in an ideal ergonomic position.

Active Info Display

In the new Passat, Volkswagen is launching an instrument cluster that has been designed as a full interactive display. All instruments in the optional Active Info Display are implemented virtually via software; only the icon lights on the upper border of the display are still powered by hardware. Navigation information can be shown in 2D or 3D views on a 12.3-inch display, and its 1,440 x 540 pixel resolution enables extremely precise, high-quality graphics and interactive display of all details.

In Navigation mode, for instance, the speedometer and tachometer are relocated to the sides to make more room for the map, and information on driving, navigation and assistance functions can be integrated into the graphic areas of the speedometer and tachometer as needed. Data that is displayed on the centre console via the infotainment system, such as phone contact pages or CD covers, can also be shown in the Active Info Display in the Passat.

Head-up display

The new Passat is the first Volkswagen to be equipped with a head-up display (available as an option early in 2016). This projects key information such as vehicle speed or navigation pictograms directly into the driver’s primary visual field, meaning drivers keep their eyes on the road while looking at data such as speed. Reaction time can also be significantly reduced by projecting warning messages directly into the driver’s visual field.

The Passat’s head-up display is a ‘combined solution’: the data is projected onto an extendable glass panel in front of the windscreen. Developers succeeded in attaining the same display quality as in much more expensive windscreen systems. When it is not being used, the display panel is protected by lowering it into the dashboard, and the opening has a flush closure. From the driver’s perspective, the projected data appears to be located two metres in front of the Passat; as a result, because drivers do not have to shift their gaze back and forth between the instruments and the street nearly as often, they do not have to constantly refocus their eyes, thus reducing eye fatigue. The head-up display is activated by a separate control next to the rotary light switch. Drivers can decide for themselves via the infotainment system what information is to be displayed: current speed, permitted speed, navigation advice, assistance systems information and/or warning messages.

Infotainment systems

Volkswagen is launching the latest generation of infotainment systems in the new Passat. These systems facilitate an extremely high degree of connectivity in order to link up external devices. In addition, the systems have been given much faster processors (optimised booting, quicker route calculation, smoother touchscreen performance, perfected language dialogues) and new higher resolution display in the 6.5-inch ‘Composition Media’ system. The Radio/CD6.5-inch ‘Composition Media is the standard radio system across the range.

The new generation of infotainment devices is characterised by better system performance. Compared to the first generation ‘Discover Pro’radio-navigation system,the performance of the CPU (main processor) in the new system has more than doubled from 950 MIPS (million instructions per second) to 2,500 MIPS.

Highlights of features available with Composition Media are:

  • Bluetooth telephone connection
  • Single CD player (in glovebox)
  • MDI (Multi Device Interface); SD card reader; USB port, AUX-in socketmusic playback from MP3, WMA and AAC filestitle and cover art display
  • Eight speakers, front and rear4 x 20 watt output
  • Car menu
  • Eco function (with tips for economical driving)

Highlights of the features on the optional top level Discover Pro Navigation system with 8.0-inch colour touchscreen include the following:

  • Voice activated control system for navigation, CD and radio functions
  • 64 GB solid state hard drive
  • preloaded navigation data; 3D map view
  • choice of route options, and dynamic navigation based on TMC+ databranded points of interest
  • traffic sign display with speed limits and no-overtaking zones
  • USB
  • additional SD card reader and photo display.

More innovative navigation

In the new Passat, the ‘rubber band’ function is used in the new optional ‘Discover Pro’ system, meaning that just like on a tablet, the displayed route can be scrolled and varied by touching a point on the route by hand. Also as a standard feature of the ‘Discover Pro’ system is the ability to use speech commands to input the navigation destination.

TECHNOLOGY HIGHLIGHTS

In addition to the infotainment system highlights and enhancements detailed in the preceding section, the new Passat benefits from a wide range of standard safety, convenience and comfort features which would hitherto have been the reserve of the luxury class.

Automatic Multi-Collision Braking System

An innovative feature which made its debut on the seventh-generation Golf is an award-winning Automatic Multi-Collision Braking System. Studies have found that around a quarter of all traffic accidents involving personal injury are multiple collision incidents, in other words, when there is a second impact after the initial collision.

The Automatic Multi-Collision Braking System automatically brakes the vehicle when it is involved in an accident in order significantly to reduce its residual kinetic energy and hence prevent or minimise the severity of a subsequent collision.

Triggering of the system is based on detection of a primary collision by the airbag sensors. Vehicle braking is limited by the ESC control unit to a maximum deceleration rate of 0.6 g. The driver can ‘override’ the Automatic Multi-Collision Braking System at any time; for example, if the system recognises that the driver is accelerating, it is disabled. The system is also deactivated if the driver initiates hard braking at an even higher rate of deceleration. Essentially, the system applies the brakes until a vehicle speed of 10 km/h is reached, so this residual vehicle speed can be used to steer to a safe location after the braking process.