Passat [Official] Volkswagen Passat Performance Concept (U.S.)

[Merc1]

GLOBAL DEBUT OF VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT PERFORMANCE CONCEPT AT 2013 NORTH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW

- All-new 1.8 TSI engine delivers 250 horsepower and gives a sneak-peek at upcoming sport sedan
- Bi-Xenon-Headlights with Advanced Front Lighting System (AFS) and LED taillights
- Carbon-style detailing inside and out

2012 will go down in the Volkswagen Passat’s history as its best sales year ever, with 117,023 units sold of the designed-for-America, Chattanooga-built family sedan. In an exercise to hint at Volkswagen’s efforts to explore this practical four-door’s sportier side, Volkswagen will unveil the Passat Performance Concept at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The most notable alteration in this concept isn’t something you’d see right away—it’s under the hood. The Passat Performance Concept features a unique modification of the Volkswagen EA888 1.8 liter turbocharged and direct-injected TSI® four-cylinder engine, which delivers 250 horsepower (184 kW) and is matched to a six-speed automatic transmission. In its existing form, this engine is already available—and popular—among the European and Asian markets.

The Passat Performance Concept further differentiates itself from the regular Passat with a dual exhaust, 19-inch “Luxor” alloy wheels, Bi-Xenon headlights including Advanced Front Lighting System (AFS) and LED taillights and carbon applications on its mirror caps. Inside, carbon-like touches dominate the dashboard, matching the carbon-style inserts on two-color leather seating surfaces and complementing the black headliner and side pillars. A lowered sport suspension and electro-mechanical steering enhance the handling.

http://www.vwvortex.com/news/volkswagen-news/naias-2013-passat-performance-concept/


Nice update for people who don't want the V6, but want more power than the I5 and diesel.


M

 

[K-A]

Lol. I was expecting something exciting based on that marketing schtick term that gave it.

Then a picture of a bar of soap with cheesy aftermarket-y LED's pops up.

 

[Merc1]

Still one of the more handsome cars in it's segment IMO. Suddenly though, the segment is full of lookers or semi-lookers: Fusion, Accord, Sonata, 6, and Passat. This engine should make this really fun to drive, much more so than the base car or even the heavier V6.


M

 

[K-A]

I think it looks less "goofy" and more mature than quite a few cars in the segment. But IMO something like the new Accord might even look better, not to mention the Fusion which is really introducing a refined look and take to this segment (unlike the Asian offerings which rely more-so on cartoon-ish elements). I love the simplicity the Passat goes for, as it's very Germanic, but it just looks so incredibly homely and off-proportioned which is a shame.

If the Fusion isn't such a common sight to the point where we want to dry heave just by looking at yet another one, in a few years time, I'd be very surprised.

 

[Kowalski]

Needs more cowbell, like the 2.5 5-cylinder turbo 340 bhp cowbell of the Audi TT-RS and 4Motion to harness the power.

 

[martinbo]

That's a Performance Concept?!?

 

[Gianclaudio]

Still one of the more handsome cars in it's segment IMO. Suddenly though, the segment is full of lookers or semi-lookers: Fusion, Accord, Sonata, 6, and Passat. This engine should make this really fun to drive, much more so than the base car or even the heavier V6.


M

Kia Optima looks nice, interior is awful, though

 

[Tumbo]

That rear screams E90 sedan to me.

 

[Tumbo]

Kia Optima looks nice, interior is awful, though

Oh yeah... Had this car as a rental for a week. Oh god what a peace of ish!

 

[Merc1]

Kia Optima looks nice, interior is awful, though

I would imagine. I'm not convinced by any of these new generation Hyundais or Kias. I need to see how they hold up over the next 5 years before I would every buy one. They look good, but still drive like crap (in most cases) and when you look closer you see how cheaply made they really are.

This car here is like a Passat GLI is seems.

M

 

[Gianclaudio]

Ride on the one I drove was very harsh. The interior is a cheap plastics fest, but I like the exterior design. Hyundai on the other hand are with the Toyota the ugliest cars inside -n- out, to my taste

 

[Merc1]

M

 

[LaArtist]

Thats a damn radical concept..almost like the siesto elemento