The future of the Volkswagen Passat seems a little uncertain at the moment, to say the least. In the United States, the 2022 model year will be the final for the German saloon, while in Europe the automaker will continue selling the Passat in saloon and estate forms for at least for another 12-24 months.
While the three-box version could be replaced by a new all-electric model, the wagon is probably getting a new generation, though nothing is official at the moment.
This uncertain situation doesn’t mean the Passat isn’t one of the most popular cars in Europe’s shrinking non-premium D-segment. It topped the chart last year with 115,363 deliveries ahead of the technically-related Skoda Superb with 59,925 sales, the Peugeot 508 (29,011 sales), and Ford Mondeo (21,222 sales). This said, it remains one of the most popular cars in Germany, where private and business clients prefer it for its practicality and good value for money.
The unrestricted sections of the country’s Autobahn are the place where all kinds of vehicles are put through their paces, and with the Passat being a common sight on the motorway, it’s not a real wonder if you see a flying estate in the left lane. And in the case of the video above, the family hauler has a small 1.5-litre engine.
Mainstream cars on the Autobahn:
The Passat received the new 1.5 TSI unit with the 2019 facelift and it seems that its balanced character fits the nature of the Golf’s larger brother pretty well. It’s surely not as torquey as the 2.0-litre TDIs from the range, though the maximum output of 148 bhp (110 kilowatts) seems to be enough for the Passat. The driver from the video easily maintains speeds of 90 miles per hour (145 kilometres per hour) and above, and it even hits a peak at 145 mph (233 kph).
Gallery: Volkswagen Passat Facelift (2019)
Source: TopSpeedGermany on YouTube