The luxury sedan car from the Volkswagen, Passat was discontinued from the Indian line-up in 2013 due to the poor sales record. But It seems that the German auto-major has decided to re-introduce the car once again in India yet under the next generation moniker. As the 2016 VW Passat has been spotted testing recently in the country, image courtesy: Auto Column.
The 2016 VW Passat debuted in India as hybrid GTE variant at this year’s Auto Expo in Delhi. In the event, new Passat features some unique identities which separate it from the regular model, such as the blue accents on the grille, revised front bumper, C-shaped LED headlights and the new alloy wheels.
According to the person who snapped the 2016 Passant, it had a TDI badge on its boot lid that suggests a diesel variant will also be launched besides a petrol-electric hybrid ‘GTE’ model. In the GTE variant, a 1.4-litre TSI engine gives a power output of 154 bhp while the electric motor is capable of producing 115 bhp and 400 Nm. Total power output of the Passat GTE is 218 hp which is transmitted via a 6-speed DSG gearbox.
If the new Passat hits the Indian shores, it will be the first VW car to build upon the MQB platform. This platform uses the high-strength and hot-framed steel and aluminium which helped the new Passat to reduce the weight by almost 85 kg over its old generation.
If the 2016 Passat launched in India, it is expected to come-back in the market by the mid of next year and will lock the horns against the likes of upcoming Toyota Corolla Altis, Skoda Superb and yet-to-be-launched next-gen Honda Accord in India.
Get latest and updated information about automobiles on our Google Plus Community Speed Gears.