2015 Volkswagen Passat for Europe

VW's best way of describing the new 2015 Passat for Europe and other places around the world is a "premium class car without premium costs". In other words, the Germans want to extend their reach over to more premium offerings like the BMW 3-Series, Mercedes C-Class and even sister company Audi's A4, all while continuing to challenge mainstream rivals such as the Ford Mondeo and Peugeot 508.

Unveiled earlier today at the VW Design Center in Potsdam, Germany, the eighth generation Passat, codenamed B8, is a clean sheet design that differs from the American Passat that will continue on its own path unchanged.

"The new Passat gives the right answers to the major automotive trends of its time," commented VW Group chief Martin Winterkorn. "For me this Passat is a premium class car without premium costs. This fits perfectly to Europe's most successful business car – lining up with 20 percent better fuel economy, up to 85kg [188 lbs] less weight and a range of efficient petrol and diesel engines – there is even a plug-in hybrid available."

Most of those weight savings can be attributed to the new MQB flexible platform architecture shared with the latest Golf. Compared to the outgoing B7 that is based on the previous B6, the new Passat B8 in sedan trim is 2mm shorter at 4,767mm long and sits 14mm lower, but has an 80mm longer wheelbase at 2,791mm, and is also 12mm wider at 1,832mm.

VW makes promises of improved space for both passengers and their luggage, with the sedan's cargo space boosted by 21-liters to 586-liters, and the station wagon model's by 47-liters to 650-liters or up to 1,780-liters with the rear seats folded.

The styling of the new Passat both inside and out is on the elegant (albeit unadventurous) side with more premium details compared to the outgoing model – you could say that VW tried to bring a touch of Phaethon to the mid-size segment with the B8.

This is even more evident on the technology front with the Passat gaining a multitude of new features highlighted by the available fully configurable 12.3-inch TFT display (buyers of base models will have to do with a 6.5-inch color display in the center console) marketed as the Active Info Display.

Other notable features include the extendible head-up display, an app-based Rear Seat Entertainment for tablet computers, Front Assist plus City Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Monitoring, and what VW says are three world firsts for a vehicle in this class: Emergency Assist (vehicle stops in emergency), Trailer Assist (assisted maneuvering with a trailer) and Traffic Jam Assist.

Overall, European buyers will have a choice of 10 direct injection turbocharged petrol and diesel engines covering a power range from 120PS to 280PS (118hp to 276hp), all of which are fitted with stop-start system and a regenerative braking mode, and meet Euro 6 emission standards.

Among these powerplants is a new 1.4 TSI Plug-in Hybrid with a combined system output of 211PS (208hp) that has an all-electric range of 50 km (31 miles). There's also the 240PS (237hp) 2.0-liter TDI diesel that comes exclusively with a DSG gearbox and 4MOTION all-wheel drive offering a 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint time of 6.1 seconds and a top speed of 240km/h (239mph) with a combined fuel economy of 5.3l/100km (44.1mpg US or 53 mpg UK).

VW said that advance sales for the new Passat in Germany begin next week, with prices starting from €25,875 for the saloon and €25,950 for the estate. The new Passat will enjoy its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show in October.

How Will You Have Your 2015 VW Passat? German Configurator Goes Live

The line between luxury cars and regular cars is not a wall any more. Design (appearance), technologies, bits of shiny trim and high quality materials are what superficially define the genre, yet despite these elements’ ever-increasing prevalence throughout the different classes of cars, the choice is being made much harder, not easier.

In the same vein of thinking, it’s very hard to ignore the (all-new) VW Passat if you’re in the market for anything from a repmobile to something you could use as a minicab, family hauler, for a luxury chauffeur service and even as a sports sedan.

Don’t believe us? Just look at all the choice offered by the (German) configurator for the all-new Passat. With it, you can create many wildly different cars whose roles you could not interchange.

For instance, a company sales rep would not complain about being given a Trendline model, with hubcaps, no leather and a 150 PS diesel coupled to a manual gearbox. It would still be comfortable and very spacious – perfect for carrying the rep and as many boxes of samples he’d need. The same car could be used as a taxi, though it would not fare well as a limo – that’s where the much posher Highline comes in and steals some of the (ageing) Audi A4’s luster.

All-New 2015 VW Passat: First Photos and Live Video from Presentation

Ladies and gents, this is Europe's eighth-generation Volkswagen Passat and it was unveiled today during a special press meeting in Berlin, prior to the mid-size model's world premiere at the Paris Motor Show.

We've said it before, but it doesn't hurt to say it one more time; the new B8 is for Europe and other regions around the globe, excluding North America that has its own (mediocre-flavored…) Passat.

Unlike the current Passat B7 that was essentially a revised version of the previous B6, the Euro Passat B8 is a completely new car built on the Volkswagen Group's modular MQB platform, sporting a new range of engines and fresh technologies like the fully-digital instrument cluster.

VW has yet to grace us with an official release, but Autobild magazine got a hold of it and learned that the new 2015 Passat is up to 85kg or 188 pounds lighter and up to 20 percent more fuel efficient than the B7. It has about the same overall length, but the wheelbase has grown to 2.79m or about 109.8 inches, while the sedan model benefits from a boot capacity increase of 21 liters to 586 liters, and the estate, of 47 liters to an opulent 650 liters.

In Europe, the Passat will have up to ten direct-injection turbocharged engines ranging in output from 120PS to 280PS (118hp to 276hp), including a 240PS (237hp) 2.0-liter TDI diesel and a 211PS (208hp) plug-in hybrid variant combining a 1.4-liter TSI petrol unit and an electric motor.

We'll have more on the latest Passat soon, so stay tuned.