The Volkswagen Passat is the German carmaker’s third most successful model after the Beetle and the Golf. Unsurprisingly, the arrival of its new generation, designated as the B9, is one of the most important news of this year. The biggest change in the 2023 Volkswagen Passat is that it will be availabie only in the practical Variant version – in other words combi.

What Volkswagen Passat 2023 reviews agree on

The end of sedan… and manual transmission

The Passat, a legend of the automotive world produced since 1973, was the best-selling car in the segment in the sedan version. However, due to the SUV invasion, its sales have been continuously falling and VW has taken the difficult decision to continue only with the ever-popular combi. As an indirect replacement, Volkswagen presents the Volkswagen ID electric liftback. Or – for lovers of classic bodies – there’s the option of an elegant Volkswagen Arteon.

Manual gearbox is also going to become a thing of the past – no more fiddling with the gear lever, from now on you’ll enjoy the convenience of an automatic.

Platform and dimensions

The Volkswagen Passat Variant sits on the MQB Evo chassis platform, which it shares with a number of the group’s new models, including the next-generation Skoda Superb, and has grown several centimetres in all directions. The increase in dimensions has also increased the boot by 40 litres to 690 litres.

Design heavily inspired by electric cars

Taking its design cues from electric models, the Passat resembles the upcoming ID.7 Variant electric car. However, the inspiration of the electric cars of the ID series is also evident in the interior. The dashboard is cleanly conceived and dominated by displays including a large 12.9-inch touchscreen “tablet”.

After the debacle with the infotainment systems in the current Golf, Octavia, A3, Leon and other EVs comes the much improved MIB4 system – both in terms of hardware and software. It already looks clearer at first glance, with navigation speeded up by the favourite function buttons on the fixed bar at the top, and climate controls near the bottom edge, which is therefore again touch-sensitive – not exactly ideal.

The final look of the car will be up to its owner, who will have a choice of Passat, Business, Elegance and R-Line trim levels. The equipment will also include new Matrix LED headlights or 19″ wheels.

2023 Volkswagen Passat: performance and engine specifications

The new Volkswagen Passat will offer petrol, diesel and, for the first time, mild-hybrid petrol units. It will be a 1.5 eTSI with 110 kW of power and the ability to deactivate half of the cylinders, which saves fuel. A more powerful 2.0 TSI four-cylinder will also be available in two versions of 150 and 195 kW, with the more powerful one also getting 4MOTION all-wheel drive.

The good news is that the car will also run with a diesel four-cylinder, the 2.0 TDI engine with outputs of 90, 110 and 142 kW.

However, plug-in hybrids, referred to here as eHybrids, are a must these days. The basic system will have an output of 150 kW, while the more powerful one will have 200 kW. With a 19.7 kWh battery, the car should be able to travel up to 100 km on a single charge, while the Passat will also offer very fast charging with up to 50 kW.

Volkswagen Passat Variant 2023 in numbers

• Power: 90-200 kW
• Price: 39 400-58 450 EUR
• Consumption: 7,2-8,1 l/100 km
• Boot space: 690 l
• Curb weight: 1549-1770 kg

• Height: 1500-1530 mm
• Width: 1832 mm
• Length: 4773-4780 mm
• Wheelbase: 2786 mm

More confident and comfortable road manners

The carmaker’s engineers are boasting of a redesigned front subframe and rear axle, which should bring more sure-footed road manners as well as more comfort. But the biggest benefit is the new DCC Pro adaptive dampers with two valves that allow independent control of compression and rebound. This has made it possible to fine-tune the car’s road manners even more precisely for bump absorption and dynamic driving,

Really smart parking assist

The Passat is equipped with all the available active assistance features – from emergency braking to sign reading and fatigue monitoring to adaptive cruise control combined with lane keeping. You won’t be able to sleep behind the wheel of the Passat just yet, but you can rest.

All the systems are available in the latest generation, with major improvements especially to the parking assist. In its top version, in addition to parking itself in both longitudinal and lateral spaces – even when the driver is out of the car – it can also store a specific parking manoeuvre (i.e. a complex garage entrance or) in memory over a distance of up to 50 metres.

Interesting VW Passat 2023 reviews:

Volkswagen Passat 2023 206TSI R-Line review

Whatcar? Volkswagen Estate 2023 extensive review

AutoExpress VW Passat Estate 2023 detailed review and prices