Ahead of an official unveiling scheduled next month, the technical presentation of the 2015 VW Passat was leaked in China. Here is a summary of the details -
Dynamic Light Assist Technology with LED headlights: The new Passat will preview VW's Dynamic Lighting Technology with integrated static and bending lights. This apart, the top-end variant of the car will get full LED headlights.
LED taillights: The 2015 Passat will come with full LED taillights as standard.
Instrument cluster: VW have given the traditional cluster a miss, and have instead used a new 12.3-inch instrument cluster with a resolution of 1440 x 540 pixels. The display doubles up for navigation and seems inspired by the new Audi TT's cluster.
Weight savings: According to the presentation, VW have achieved total weight savings of 85 kg in the new Passat thanks to the use of high-strength, hot-formed steel and aluminium in certain areas.
Length: The new Passat will measure 4,767 mm in length, as compared to the current model which measures 4,769 mm.
Engines: All engines conform to EU6 norms. The smallest engine will be a 1.6-liter TDI producing 118 hp, and the top-end diesel will make use of a 2.0-liter Bi-Turbo unit producing 240 PS and 500 Nm of torque. Petrol engines will range from a 1.4-liter TSI to a 2.0-liter TSI.
Plug-In Hybrid: Confirming earlier claims, the new Passat will get a plug-in hybrid variant with a 9.9 kWh battery pack providing a pure electric driving range of 50 km. The charging socket will be located in the VW badge in the grille of the car.
Entertainment system: The entertainment system will get a MirrorLink feature for smartphones wherein the car's system acts as a screen to the phone.
HUD: The new Passat will get a head-up display system.
Park Assistant: The 2015 Passat gets VWs Park Assistant 3.0 system which has an option wherein the driver can manually select a parking spot for the car. On the current system, the car has to detect a parking spot on its own.
Camera: A 360 degree panoramic camera will be offered on the car.
Trailer assistant system: Using this system, the driver of the new Passat can accurately judge the turning radius of the attached trailer.
Traffic Assistant Systems: A rear traffic warning system with a side assistance system and blind spot detection will be seen on the new Passat. It will also add the city braking feature and lane keeping assistant to the car. If the driver of the Passat strays from his lane, the system will first warn the driver will an alarm and a flashing logo. If the driver doesn't react to this, a haptic feedback on the brake pedal will try to get the driver's attention.
The system will finally resort to tightening the seat belts, engaging cruise control and gently bringing the car to a stop should the driver fail to react.
The new Passat will be announced next month with European sales likely to begin by the end of this year. VW India have confirmed that the new generation will launch when the time is appropriate.
[Source - Auto Home]
