Whereas the North American VW Passat is reportedly heading for a heavy facelift in 2015, for Europe and other global markets, the Germans are working on a brand-new generation codenamed B8 that will sit on the group’s modular MQB platform.
It is this car that the crew over at GTB Photography filmed testing in southern Europe, while covered under plenty of wraps that manage to hide the styling direction followed by VW, though we do expect a refinement of the B7’s design with tauter surfaces and edgier lines, much like the latest Golf.
The 2015 Passat will be the biggest car to date to use the MQB architecture, which together with other measures, is anticipated to help reduce weight by as much as 100kg (220 pounds).
The comprehensive engine lineup will include turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline and diesel units in all states of tunes, with some combining cylinder shutdown and start-stop systems to help improve efficiency. A plug-in hybrid version is very likely, while there have been rumors floating around about a performance version with a six-cylinder unit and all-wheel drive.
If we don’t see the new European Passat B8 at the Paris Motor Show this fall, then it should make it debut at next year’s Geneva event.
By John Halas
Video via YouTube/GTB Photography
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