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The decline in mid-size sedan sales has led some manufacturers to limit sales to certain markets or abandon the segment altogether. Volkswagen opted for the former for the current-generation Passat, but the German automaker didn’t want to kill off one of its longest-running nameplates either.
Volkswagen’s solution was to discontinue sedans for most of Europe and continue the car’s lineage as station wagons. After all, wagon bodies (known as Varian Passat) outsold sedans on the Old Continent by a sizable margin.
Our friends from the spy pic biz recently spotted the next generation Passat Variant driving around in its production body. The car is sporting fake panels for now, but that hasn’t stopped some publications from rendering it. Kolesa.ru gets to work and shows what a redesigned wagon looks like with all fake panels turned off.
The Russian publication reckons the future Passat will have raised headlights like the Golf. There seems to be an element of the China-only Lamando L, though it doesn’t look extreme. The renders also reflect the spy photo’s slimmer roofline and longer windows. As for the rear, there’s a good chance it will have full-width taillights, a dashing tailgate, and a wide opening. We also wanted to know what the smaller model would look like since it renders more like the R-Line model.
For now, the next generation Passat is in early development. There’s little information about its powertrain options, but we’re taking into account a range of mild gas hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and possibly diesel for the European market. And while the future of the Passat remains unknown in the US, the raised version of the Alltrack should be a good fit for the crossover crowd.
Volkswagen USA is discontinuing the Passat for the 2022 model year. If you still want a four-door Volkswagen, you should opt for the smaller Jetta or the upscale Arteon. But if you still want the Passat name stamped on the trunk lid, you’ll have to move to Mainland China to get it.
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