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The Volkswagen Passat is a family car built by Volkswagen AG ("VW"), produced in various forms since 1973. It falls between the Volkswagen Golf/Jetta and Phaeton in the current Volkswagen line-up, and is currently produced in Volkswagen's plants in Emden and Zwickau, Germany. Although normally known as the Passat in European and North American markets, it has been badged as a variety of other names including Dasher, Santana, Quantum and Crossover in some markets during its life. Its name is short for passatwind — German for "trade wind". While the first generation Passat was a compact car/small family car, the second generation grew in size, and later Passats are mid-size cars/large family cars.
The Passat has always been one of Volkswagen's most important models, falling in the middle of the sedan/saloon market segment. It was critical to Volkswagen on its introduction in 1973, as the sales of the aging Beetle were declining, and larger air-cooled rear-engined models like the Volkswagen Type 3 and 411 and 412 based on older technology were also failing to take hold in the market.
Following the Volkswagen Group's acquisition of Audi in 1964, Volkswagen was able to use newly gained engineering expertise to develop a modern front-wheel drive car with a water-cooled engine, and thus the Passat and Golf (the latter being introduced in 1974) were the first of a new generation of Volkswagens. Indeed, the first Passat was developed directly from the Audi 80/Fox and the two still share the same platform. The new Passat allowed Volkswagen to compete more squarely with its European rivals than was possible with its product line consisting of old-fashioned rear-engined models. As of 2006, the Passat is one of Volkswagen's best-selling and most-profitable models in nearly every market.
[] Mark 1 (B1 platform)
First generation
Volkswagen Passat Mk I 5-door hatchback (Europe)
Also called Volkswagen Dasher
Production 1973–1981
Class Small family car
/ Compact car
Body style 2-door sedan
3-door hatchback
4-door sedan
5-door hatchback
5-door station wagon
Engine 1.3 L I4
1.5 L I4
1.6 L I4
1.5 L diesel I4
The reference to "mark" or "Mk" has been introduced by the Motoring Press and is not a reference used by the manufacturer VAG, which refers to progressive production versions by the German term "Veränderung" (alteration) abbreviated as "V".
The original VW Passat was launched in 1973. The body types offered originally were 2- and 4-door sedans and similar looking three- and five-door versions. Externally all four shared a modern fastback style design, styled by the Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro). All the versions sharing the same external design was unusual, since two of the models were traditional sedans with a separate trunk (boot). A five-door station wagon/estate was introduced in 1974. Passat was effectively a less expensive version of the Audi 80 (Fox) sedan which had been introduced a year earlier and which had a more conservative body style, so that the Audi and Volkswagen models had distinct body styles and image. In Europe, Passat was equipped with rectangular or single round 7" or double round 5.5" headlights depending on specification.
In North America, the car was called the Dasher, and was only available with round DOT-spec lights. The three-door hatchback model was launched in North America for the 1974 model year.
The Passat was one of the most modern European family cars at the time, and was intended as a replacement for the ageing Volkswagen Type 3, and as a contemporary rival for popular Ford Taunus/Ford Cortina and Opel Ascona/Vauxhall Cavalier. The Passat was Wheels magazine's Car of the Year for 1974 and its sister model Audi 80 was nominated car of the year by the European motor press a year earlier. The platform was named B1.
The Passat used the 4 cylinder OHC 1.3 l, 1.5 l, and 1.6 l petrol engines, also used in the Audi 80, quattro, S2, RS2, RS2 Avant—longitudinally mounted with front-wheel drive, in Audi tradition, with either a 4-speed manual transmission or 3-speed automatic. It had a MacPherson strut front suspension with a solid axle/coil spring setup at the rear.
The SOHC 1.5 produced 75 PS (55 kW) and was enlarged to 1.6 l for 1975. The larger engine included tighter emissions controls, so power output dropped to 70 PS (52 kW). Bosch fuel injection on the 1.6 was introduced in 1976 and brought power up to 78 PS (57 kW).
The whole range received a facelift in 1977 (launched 1978 outside Europe), featuring an interior upgrade and subtly revised styling including repositioned indicators and quad (round) headlights on all models. This generation was sold in Brazil well into the 1980s and extensively exported to Iraq, where many are still on the road. It was also assembled in Nigeria.
1979 saw the introduction of the Volkswagen Golf's 1.5 l diesel engine, which produced just 48 PS (35 kW) in the 1130 kg (2500 lb) car. 0–100 km/h time for the Diesel was 19.4 seconds, 6.2 seconds slower than the gasoline (petrol) engine. All gasoline engines were dropped for North America in 1981 in preparation for the next generation car the next year.
[] Mark 2 (B2 platform)
Second generation
Pre Facelift Volkswagen Santana
Also called Volkswagen Quantum
Volkswagen Santana
Volkswagen Corsar
Production 1982–1987
Class Large family car
/ Mid-size car
Body style 3-door hatchback
4-door sedan
5-door hatchback
5-door station wagon
Engine 1.3 L I4
1.5 L I4
1.6 L I4
1.8 L I4
2.0 L I4
1.5 L diesel I4
1.8 L diesel I4
The second generation Volkswagen Passat was a large family car car launched in 1981. The platform, named B2, was slightly longer and the car's updated styling was instantly recognisable as Passat, with the most obvious difference being the rectangular headlights. The car was known as the Quantum in North America, where it was introduced in 1982, and Corsar in Mexico, where it was sold between 1985 and 1988.
As well as the Passat hatchback and estate there was also a sedan, which until the beginning of 1985 was sold as the Volkswagen Santana in Europe.
The range received a minor facelift in 1986, with the sedan, now known as the Passat, sharing the same front end as the hatchback and estate. The Passat sedan and estate were produced in South Africa until 1987.
The range of engines was more extensive than that of the first generation Passat, and included a 5 cylinder Audi 2.0 L petrol and a 1.9 L diesel as well as all the engines previously available in the B1 model. The 2.0 GT5S version had a power output of 115 PS (85 kW) and was available with VW's 4WD system, Syncro.
[] Brazilian and Chinese Santanas
In 1991, Volkswagen do Brasil was involved in its Autolatina partnership with Ford do Brasil. Rather than tool up for the third generation Passat (B3), retained the B2 shaped sedan and wagon & made structural changes to the grill, front and rear ends (including front & rear guards). These structural changes made it look like a modern B3 Passat, which some car enthusiasts commonly mistake it for.
Under terms with Autolatina, the car was also sold as the Ford Versailles in Brazil and as the Ford Galaxy in Argentina. This range included a unique station wagon version called the Ford Royale, which unlike the Volkswagen version, had only two doors. Although such models were relatively popular in Brazil, and had been sold by Ford before, it was also alleged that Volkswagen did not want the Royale to be available as a four-door model, as this would have posed a competitive threat.
The Brazilian Santana/Quantum proved very popular in their local market, even after VW finally introduced the more modern Passat. The Quantum was available in the VW line-up until 2002, and the Santana was finally retired in July 2006, more out of technological considerations than a drop in popularity, as the car was not a part of Volkswagen do Brasil's current flex fuel program.
The Chinese Santana, with the European Passat B2 design, has been built by the Shanghai-Volkswagen joint-venture since 1986.
In 1991, the Volkswagen Santana 2000 was put into development with Volkswagen do Brasil and started mass production in 1995, it has since been replaced in 2004 by the Volkswagen Santana 3000 which was the first VW to be designed by Shanghai-Volkswagen. Both the original Santana and the Santana 3000 are still sold in China.
The Brazilian Santana and Chinese version were co-developed between the two companies, although the Chinese versions have a longer wheelbase.
[] Mark 3 (B3 platform) (1988-1993)
Third generation
Volkswagen Passat
Production 1988–1993
Class Large family car
/ Mid-size car
Body style 4-door sedan
5-door station wagon
Engine 1.6 L Turbodiesel
2.0 L I4
2.8 L VR6
1.8 L I4
1.9 L TDI I4
The third generation Passat (introduced 1988 in Europe, 1990 in North America, 1995 in South America) was a completely new car. Its curvy looks were a world away from the boxy appearance of its predecessor and owed much to the "Jelly Mould" style pioneered by Ford with the Sierra. The lack of a grille made the car's front end styling reminiscent of older, rear-engined Volkswagens such as the 411.
At the time it was the first Passat to be built on an independently designed platform, rather than sharing one with an Audi sedan. Instead, the car, although designated B3 in VW's platform nomenclature, was largely on the A Platform as used for the smaller Golf model. Only sedan and station wagon versions were available, without the fastback option of previous models. It was marketed under the Passat name in all markets; in North America, it bore the Passat name for the first time.
The fuel injected engines were all new and gave better performance and refinement than the carburettor units previously used. They were mounted transversely, and the floorpan was engineered to accept VW's Syncro four-wheel drive system. Volkswagen's new 2.8 V6 VR6 engine (also used in the Golf and Corrado) was also made available in 1991, giving the top-of-the-range Passat a top speed of 224 km/h (139 mph).
In Russia (where this generation of Passat was extremely popular at second-hand market from early 1990's) it had been affectionately known as "ski", because grille-less front looked like an upside-down cross-country ski or toboggan.
[] Mark 4 (B4 platform) (1994-1997)
Fourth generation
Production 1994–1997
Class Large family car
/ Mid-size car
Body style 4-door sedan
5-door station wagon
Engine 1.6 L Turbodiesel
2.0 L I4
2.8 L VR6
1.8 L I4
1.9 L TDI I4
The Mark 3 Passat was heavily facelifted in 1993, and as a result it has sometimes been referred to as the Mark IV Passat; Volkswagen even renamed the platform B4. This version was available from 1994 to 1997 in North America.
Though the car was mechanically nearly identical to the original Mark 3, but for the carried-over windows, every external body panel was new. The most obvious exterior change was the re-introduction of a grille to match the style of the other same-generation Volkswagen models, such as the Mark 3 Golf, whose styling theme didn't follow on from the original Mark 3 Passat. The estate version, however, identified the link to the original Mark 3. The interior design was also updated and improved safety equipment including dual front airbags were added.
The car was available with a TDI diesel engine, an inline 4 cylinder 1.9 L turbo diesel, generating 210 N·m (155 ft·lbf) of torque at 1900 rpm, 90 PS (66 kW) at 3750 rpm. VW introduced the TDI engine to the North American market in the 1996 B4 Passat, with a U.S. EPA fuel efficiency rating for the sedan of 45 mpg highway (5.2 L/100 km). Combined with a 70 L (18.5 U.S. gallon) fuel tank, it had a 1300+ km (800+ mi) range on a single tank of fuel, nearly unheard of in the North American market. The TDI version is in high demand today and commands a high resale price in the U.S. due to its fuel economy and ability to operate on locally produced biofuels. The B4 TDI wagon is even rarer, fewer than 1000 having been imported to the U.S. during its 1996 to 1997 lifespan.
[] Versions available, and differences between them
Trim levels were virtually the same across Europe; L, CL and GL, (VR6 from 1993) were available, although in the United States it was CL, GL and GLX versions. The GLX version was a U.S.-edition only, with VW's 2.8 V6 engine. Other engines available in the U.S. were the base model 2.0 I4, and the 1.9 TDI.
Canadian versions of the Passat were similar to their European counterparts, unlike models sold in the U.S., due to a trade agreement that Canada had with Europe at the time. However, Canada did not get the 1.8-litre 4-cylinder petrol version, nor the 1.6-litre turbodiesel, both of which were on sale in Europe at the time.
In 1994, agreements existed between Canada and several European counties which allowed any car federalized in one participating country to legally be sold in any of the others.
Versions sold in Mexico had a choice of 2.0-litre 4-cylinder or a 2.8-litre VR6 petrol, and a 1.9-litre turbodiesel. Trim levels were GL or GLX. These versions were more expensive than the Volkswagen cars built in Mexico, due to the import tariffs and the fact the Passat was built in Germany.
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