The mainstream family sedan with European flair, the Passat receives a host of upgrades this year to make it a stronger competitor to the segment's top sellers. While the car's fine German DNA is untouched, its trimmings and features are now more in sync with American tastes.
What's New for 2016
The Passat receives plusher interior trim and some new body panels for a more aggressive look. A rearview camera and color infotainment touchscreen are now standard, and advanced driver-assistance technology is available for the first time. A sporty R-Line model joins the lineup. The manual transmission has been dropped.
Choosing Your Volkswagen Passat
As before, the Passat starts out with a 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 170 horsepower. A six-speed automatic transmission is now standard. With this setup, the Passat achieves an impressive 38 mpg on the highway, a 2-3 mpg improvement over last year. The available 3.6-liter V6 provides a boost to 280 horsepower and comes with paddle shifters and dual exhaust tips.
Trim levels correspond to engine choice:
With this year's additional standard equipment, the base S model makes for a perfectly acceptable family sedan, and we expect it to be quite popular with cost-conscious buyers. Even, so the SE reigns supreme in the lineup when it comes to features for the money.