VW will start accepting orders for the new generation Passat saloon and Estate in Britain on October 7 ahead of first deliveries in January next year. OTR (On-The-Road) prices start from £22,215 for the sedan and £23,745 for the Estate.

The more stylish and lighter (up to 85kg or 187 lbs) eighth-gen Passat will be offered exclusively with diesel engines at launch in the UK, with the newly announced GTE Plug-in Hybrid that marries a 1.4 TSI petrol to an electric motor to follow in October of 2015.

Diesel engine choices start with a 120PS (118hp) 1.6-liter TDI, and continue with a 150PS (148hp) 2.0 TDI, a 190PS (187hp) 2.0 TDI and a range-topping 240PS (237hp) 2.0 bi-turbo TDI with a DSG gearbox and 4MOTION four-wheel drive.

VW will also add a frugal BlueMotion with a 1.6-litre unit returning 78 mpg UK and 95 g/km of CO2 to the range in June 2015.

At launch, the 2015 Passat will be available with five trim levels named S, SE, SE Business, GT and R-Line.

The SE adds Front Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Pre-Crash system, Driver Profile Selection, Ergo Comfort seats and front and rear parking sensors, with the SE Business that is aimed at fleet buyers gaining a navigation system. The GT is further enhanced with heated Alcantara seats, three-zone climate control and 18-inch wheel, while the R-Line sports a host of cosmetic upgrades including an aero kit.

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