VW Builds 500,000th Passat In Chattanooga

Volkswagen has built its 500,000th Passat in the United States at the Chattanooga plant in Tennessee.

The milestone car was a Candy White Limited Edition model with black interior, keyless access with pushbutton start, a rearview camera, heated seats, a 170hp 1.8 liter turbo engine, premium radio and 17 inch alloy “Sonoma” wheels.

The plant documented the build of the anniversary Passat on its social media pages, posting photos from every important stage of the assembly process, from body shop, to paint and finally to the assembly shop.

“Our Passat has raised the bar on what Americans can expect from a mid-size sedan and the 500,000th car was built with the same passion for detail as the first. I’m proud of our team and excited about new products on the horizon in this factory,” said Christian Koch, President and CEO of Volkswagen Chattanooga.

VW’s Chattanooga plant is currently undertaking a $900 million expansion to add a second model to the assembly line, a 7-seat midsize SUV tailored for the US market. The expansion will add 2,000 jobs as well as a North American Engineering and Planning Center.

“Built in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the Volkswagen Passat embodies the spirit of America and continues to play a key role in the brand’s U.S. growth strategy. We are very proud of the team at Volkswagen Chattanooga and congratulate them on reaching the milestone of producing the 500,000th Passat,” said Michael Horn, president and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America.