Wolfsburg - With sedan sales waning in almost every global market, it’s inevitable that some familiar nameplates will be confined to the history books, and the latest victim in that regard is the Volkswagen Passat.
According to Autocar, Volkswagen has stopped producing the sedan version of the Passat in Europe due to low demand, although the estate version is set to continue for the foreseeable future.
The Volkswagen Passat was already discontinued in South Africa back in 2019, when VWSA elected not to bring in the facelifted version of the sedan. At the time it was believed that the swoopier Arteon four-door coupe would fill the void, although that model was also eventually axed from the local line-up.
This added to a long list of D-segment sedans that have been discontinued in South Africa in the last decade, including the Mazda6, Hyundai Sonata, Ford Fusion and Honda Accord.
The North American version of the Passat sedan (which had a different design to the Euro version) is also in the process of being phased out.
But these latest developments don’t necessarily mean the end of the road for the long-standing Volkswagen Passat nameplate.
Autocar reports that a new-generation Passat is due to be launched in Europe in 2023, using an updated version of the current MQB architecture, although at this stage it’s not clear what form it will take in terms of body styles. There will almost certainly be a new wagon, as this variant is still popular in Europe. In fact in recent years, the estate has accounted for around two thirds of Passat sales.
In keeping with the German carmaker’s electrification drive, Volkswagen is also working on a fully-electric vehicle in the Passat’s size class, Autocar says.