The ninth-generation Volkswagen Passat made its global debut last year but is exclusively offered in an estate form, with the saloon variant discontinued. But guess what? The Passat saloon lives on after all, but with a catch – it is only available in China and is known as the Passat Pro. Scheduled for launch by Q3 this year, images of the saloon have surfaced online in the form of a filing released by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).
Despite being called an all-new generation of the Volkswagen Passat, the China-exclusive Passat Pro is still built on the same platform as the eighth-generation model, albeit with a new skin. On the outside, it is clear that the “all-new” Volkswagen Passat Pro’s exterior design is heavily inspired by the global ninth-generation estate model.
Adopting many of the brand’s “ID” design cues, the Volkswagen Passat Pro wears a front end that looks highly identical to its estate twin, sporting slim LED headlights, a C-shaped side intake, and horizontal slats on the lower grille. Based on the images released by China’s MIIT, the Passat Pro could also be had with a much more aggressive front bumper, which could be offered as an R-Line variant. A total of seven different alloy wheel design choices were also listed on the filing report.
Round the back, the Volkswagen Passat Pro’s rear design has been altered as compared to the global variant, featuring thinner LED rearlights that extend across the width of the car. A Passat lettering can be seen just below the Volkswagen logo, and on the bottom right of the boot lid is a “Pro” badge.
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Performance-wise, the China-only Volkswagen Passat Pro is said to come with two powertrain options. This includes a 1.5-litre turbo engine and a larger 2.0-litre turbo engine. Output figures are rated at 160 metric hp (118 kW) and 220 metric hp (162 kW) respectively.
Globally, the Volkswagen Passat will still be available solely as an estate. As for the Passat saloon, it will continue to exist in the form of the Passat Pro, but only in China.
Closer to home, the eight-generation Volkswagen Passat B8 was the last Passat to be offered in Malaysia. Available in two variants, the Elegance and R-Line, the D-segment saloon was taken off the Malaysian shelf early last year (2023).
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