Somewhere beneath all that heavy black camouflage is the next Volkswagen Passat pulling that trailer. Our spy shooters caught this mule testing in poor weather conditions in some of Europe's higher elevations.
We're pretty sure it's the Passat, anyway. It could be the New Midsized Sedan underneath, or even a new CC. With the age of the Passat, though, that model seems most likely. Given the similarities between this car's silhouette and the current Passat, we're led to believe that this is a major facelift, not an all-new car.
Most importantly, this car gets the new Volkswagen corporate face. If you've seen any of Volkswagen's latest offerings, such as the new Touareg and Golf, you'll have a pretty good idea what this car looks like under its veil. We weren't able to spot any Audi-esque LED driving lights in the headlights, but we wouldn't be surprised to see them turn up before this car reaches production. LEDs are expected in the new taillights as well.
Inside, our shooters tell us this car has picked up the upscale CC's elegant dash and interior to help bring the Passat up a notch. We're told this includes better quality materials, more chrome and some slick new features such as heated and cooled seats and voice-activated navigation.
We don't know for sure will be under the hood yet, but a four-cylinder gasoline engine with a V-6 option is likely. We wouldn't be surprised to see the Jetta and Golf's 2.0-liter turbo diesel four-cylinder in there as well. We also understand the suspension will be retuned for a more comfortable ride but with sharper handling.
Given the timing Volkswagen has laid out and the completeness of this car, we wouldn't be surprised to see the new Passat (or New Midsize Sedan or whatever it's called) debut in Paris in October, though it could wait until early 2011 to drop the veil.
Thanks to: Motor Trend