Now Official: Next-gen VW Passat is a wagon with no further options

The rumors were true after all: Volkswagen plans to reduce its next-generation Passat lineup to just one body design, and it’s the estate car. CEO Thomas Schäfer confirmed as much in his interview to Automotive News Europe.

He also pointed out that the new Passat was scheduled for shipment in September, implying that the premiere could take place this summer or even sooner than that. The assembly will be handled by the VW factory in Bratislava, Slovakia, where the technically similar Skoda Superb will also be made. The difference is that the Superb will be offered in two flavors – liftback and wagon – and is expected to go on sale at the end of 2023.

The departure of the sedan-shaped VW Passat followed in the wake of other such departures – the Opel/Vauxhall Insignia and the Ford Mondeo come to mind, among others. That said, the market segment is not entirely deserted yet with such entries as the Peugeot 508 or the Mazda6 still around.

Back to Passat, though. According to Schäfer, it was actually Skoda that designed its new generation. Based on this info, we no longer doubt that the model now runs on the MQB platform.