There doesn’t happen to be anything too exciting about the 2016 Volkswagen Passat and it certainly isn’t all that fresh looking.
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Its introduction to U.S. media at an event in New York City Monday comes just days after United States environmental regulators accused VW of violating the Clean Air Act by selling 482,000 diesel-powered vehicles with illegal software designed to fool US emissions tests. Starting with the front fascia, the Passat gains sharper headlights that fall in line with Volkswagen’s latest design language, a new grille with three chromed slats that stretch from end to end and a rippled hood. The trunk also gets modified as does its front bumper, side skirts and rear diffuser. It’s also the first VW sedan to offer LED head- and taillights as an option, and the 2016 version is the first Passat to get an R-Line package, which includes black accents, 19-inch aluminum alloy wheels, and a custom front bumper.
Released amidst scandal, the 2016 VW Passat was officially uneviled.
. On most models, the display utilizes a capacitive touch sensor (similar to smartphone and tablet technology) enabling gesture controls like swiping and pinch-zooming rather than the resistive touchscreens that require pressure and have slightly longer response times. VW says all models sold in the USA will come standard with a backup camera, and we’re waiting on confirmation that the same will be true for Canadian cars. Also, Car-Net system is available, which has a suite of connectivity features Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink.
New safety kit on offer includes automatic post-collision braking, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitor with rear traffic alert, lane departure warning and prevention, and park assist.
Power numbers for the 2016 model Passat were not announced, though they are not likely to change from the previous model, which means the 1.8-liter puts out 170 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque, the 2.0-liter diesel makes 150 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque, and finally the V6 makes 280 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque.
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Pricing reflects a $1,100 increase over the base 2015 Passat, which is equipped with a five-speed manual transmission.
