See that Passat up there, the one with the milquetoast styling? It’s about to get a refresh that may go a long way toward snazzifying its aesthetics inside and out, going somewhat beyond the typical spit-and-polish most vehicles receive when they reach their half-lives.
When the 2016 Volkswagen Passat goes on sale this fall, Volkswagen promises new exterior lighting and wheel options, sure, but also new sheetmetal—and it’s likely the car will get a new hood, trunklid, fenders, and door skins. There’s no question that the car needs some more visual pop to garner attention in a segment that includes more dramatic designs like the Ford Fusion and the Mazda 6, and we hope—despite our Passat being on a completely different platform—VW finds a way to adopt some of the crisp aesthetic of the European Passat.
As part of the Jetta’s 2015 mid-cycle update, Volkswagen beefed up that car’s structure to better handle the latest IIHS crash tests, and we figure VW probably will need to do the same for the 2016 Passat. The mid-size sedan also will get a “full suite of infotainment and driver-assistance features,” which we take to mean every one of the goodies recently announced for most of the rest of the VW lineup. Beyond all that, figure on some of the usual refresh stuff, too, such as reshuffled options and packages and maybe a new trim level. (We vote R-Line. Make it so, VW.) The powertrains are just fine as they sit, including a TDI diesel, a 1.8-liter turbocharged four, and a 3.6-liter VR6, and we expect both manual- and automatic-transmission availability will carry over just as it is now.
With the new MIB II infotainment system coming on board—it will bring Apple Carplay and Android Auto connectivity—we imagine that accommodating its 5.0- and 6.3-inch touch screens will dictate major changes to the center stack, as will incorporating controls for many of the new safety technologies. In addition, VW says the 2016 Passat will have a “more premium interior with an enhanced instrument panel.” This makes us think of German engineers pointing at the old Passat’s IP and interior materials, yelling “ENHANCE! ENHANCE!”
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