- Compare Cars
- BAC Calculator
- Editorial
- Coverstory
- Motorsport
- Testdrives archive
- Auto Shows
- Tuning
- Car Finder
- Photo of the Day
- Glossary of automotive terms
More on this:1 Volkswagen ID Roomzz Concept Previews Future Electric SUV in Shanghai2 Volkswagen Cars to Get Windscreens Doubling as Prescription Glasses3 The Volkswagen Golf Is 45 Years Old, Prepares To Welcome 8th Generation4 2019 Volkswagen Arteon Priced from $35,845 in the U.S., Starts Selling in April5 Volkswagen Confirms Tie-Up With Ford For Next-Generation Amarok Pickup Truck
Up Next
UPDATE: Stanced McLaren F1 Looks Ruined, Sits On the Ground
30 Millionth Volkswagen Passat Rolls Off the Assembly Line In Emden
5 Apr 2019, 9:33 UTC ·
by Mircea Panait
Home > News > Car Profile
A silver-painted PHEV serves as the 30 millionth Passat ever made. No other mid-size car comes close to that figure, and looking at the bigger picture, production of the Volkswagen Passat overshadows that of the Beetle (both air-cooled and water-cooled).
38 photosThe station wagon-bodied Passat GTE in the following clip rolled off the assembly line in Emden, Germany on April 3rd, 2019. A different affair from what the Americans know as Passat, the European model shares most of its underpinnings with the Arteon. Being based on the MQB vehicle architecture, the Golf and Atlas are also related to the ever-popular nameplate.
“Passat has become one of the world’s greats,” said Ralf Brandstätter, Chief Operating Officer of the German automaker. “At Volkswagen, we are proud of this successful model, which is still the benchmark within its class today.”
To be used “as a press and test vehicle for the international media over the coming months,” the Passat GTE Variant starts at more than €45,000 in Germany. The closest competitor in the segment, also a mid-size wagon, is the Ford Mondeo Turnier Hybrid that costs in the ballpark of €41,000.
Being a plug-in hybrid, the Passat GTE Variant has the edge thanks to a larger battery. Under the WLTP cycle, the all-electric range levels up to 55 kilometers following the mid-cycle refresh of the eco-friendly model. In addition to being green, the combined output (218 PS) isn’t too shabby at all when compared to the 2.0 TSI and 2.0 TDI four-cylinder turbocharged powertrains.
The eighth generation of the European model, the facelifted Passat now features Travel Assist, IQ.Drive, semi-autonomous driving technologies ranging from zero to 210 km/h, IQ.LIGHT – LED matrix headlamps, and the MIB3 touchscreen infotainment system. Volkswagen revealed the B8 in November 2014, and the engineers refer to this generation as the Typ 3G.
Turning our attention back to May 14th in 1973, that’s when Volkswagen produced the first-ever Passat at the Wolfsburg plant. The Passat replaced the Volkswagen 1600, and only the Golf (35 million) has been produced in greater numbers. Coincidence or not, the Golf also traces its roots back to the 1970s.
click to load Disqus comments for this storyThis enables Disqus, Inc. to process some of your data.
The Engine Start-Stop Systems Conspiracy
How Stan the Robot Parking Valet Works
Headwave TAG Helmet Music and Navigation System Reviewed
Smoke and Mirrors: Volvo's New Top Speed Limit
Tesla Sentry Mode – The Fancy Loud Alarm System
2019 Formula 1 Round-Up: Cars, Drivers, Regulations
The Perversion of the Fast and the Furious
The Dos and Don’ts of Washing a Motorcycle, Part Two (Final)
Lamborghini: the Italian Supercar Dynasty That Was Created Out of Vengeance
On Electric Harleys and New Generations
How to Use the Tesla Autopilot No-Confirmation Lane Change Option
Aprils Fools' Pranks We’d Love or Hate to See Come True
Manipulated Into Liking Cars
The Dos and Don’ts of Washing a Motorcycle, Part One
Concept Cars to Look for at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show
Driverless Cars and the Mating Habits of the Earthbound Humans
What Is the Green NCAP?
The Fascinating Unknown Cars of the 2019 Geneva Motor Show
Could Volkswagen Group's Electric Plans Include Ducati?
Let's Get Wet: A Simple Guide for Driving in the Rain
The Biggest Anticipations in Motorcycling for 2016, Part 1
VOLKSWAGEN models:VOLKSWAGEN Passat GTE CompactVOLKSWAGEN Passat CompactVOLKSWAGEN Passat Variant GTE MediumVOLKSWAGEN Passat Variant MediumVOLKSWAGEN Passat Alltrack MediumAll VOLKSWAGEN models
googletag.cmd.push(function(){ window.slot4 = googletag.defineSlot("/1004334/AE_news_300x600_noref", [300, 600], "AE_news_300x600_noref__slot_4").addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.display("AE_news_300x600_noref__slot_4"); });if(typeof window.REQUEST_NONPERS !== "undefined") { console.log("manref"); googletag.pubads().refresh([window.slot4]); } '+'ipt>';
if(i==3) txt+='googletag.cmd.push(function(){ window.slot5 = googletag.defineSlot("/1004334/AE_news_300x250_noref", [300, 250], "AE_news_300x250_noref__slot_5").addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.display("AE_news_300x250_noref__slot_5"); });if(typeof window.REQUEST_NONPERS !== "undefined") { console.log("manref"); googletag.pubads().refresh([window.slot5]); } '+'ipt>';
}
txt+=""+
""+
"
"+data[i][0]+""+
""+
""+
"
"+data[i][2]+"
"+
""+
"
"+
"";
}
txt+="";
$('#morescroll').html(txt);
nxloaderactive=false;
});
}
function aenext_lzy() {
$(window).on("scroll", function() {
if(nxstories!=false) return;
var footOffset = $("#footer").offset().top;
if($(window).scrollTop() > footOffset – $(window).height() – 600) aenext_load();
});
}
function aenews_fixoverlaps_actual() {
window.aeoverlapst=-1;
var $rsoc=$(".rightsocial").first();
if($rsoc.length!=0) {
var rsocofs=$rsoc.offset().top;
var $newsgal=$(".newsgal").first();
if($newsgal.length==0) return;
var ngofs=$newsgal.offset().top+$newsgal.height();
if(rsocofsOriginal Article