Volkswagen has officially announced that it is discontinuing the Passat sedan in Europe, and the next-generation Passat, set to be revealed this summer, will only be sold as a wagon. Despite being the best-selling car in its segment in Europe last year, company boss Thomas Schäfer stated that a decision was made to axe the sedan.
Volkswagen's decision to discontinue the Passat sedan in Europe comes after the sedan was dropped in the United States after the 2022 model year. According to Schäfer, the next-generation Passat deliveries are scheduled to commence in September this year.
Interestingly, Schäfer revealed that the next-gen Passat has been developed by Skoda, but did not provide any further details. It is likely that the vehicle will ride on an evolution of the MQB platform with cleaner gasoline and diesel engines engineered to meet Euro 7 regulations.
The Passat wagon will also be produced in Bratislava, Slovakia. Assembly of the previous-gen sedan ended in Emden (Germany) in January 2022.
Despite the discontinuation of the Passat sedan in Europe, Volkswagen is still offering a range of midsize sedans in its lineup, including the Arteon and the recently revealed Talagon, which is currently only available in China.
Additionally, Volkswagen will be launching the ID.7 electric car, which is similarly sized to the Passat, later this year. If the ID. Space Vizzion concept is any indication, a wagon version of the electric car may follow later this decade.
Source: Automotive News
