When was the first vw passat made

Two major differences separated the early Dasher from Passat models sold in other markets: round, rather than square, headlights, and big, federally-mandated bumpers.

As with its predecessor, there were multiple body styles: a wagon, a three-door hatchback, and a four-door sedan. The base four-cylinder engine gave just 74 horsepower, but a five-cylinder 2. It was sold only as a four-door sedan and a wagon, with slightly bland styling dictated by aerodynamics—there was no grille at the front, just a large VW badge. The U. Although the model was designated as a new Passat, it was more of a comprehensive facelift.

The bland face of the previous car was replaced by a waterfall grille to give the car a more aggressive appearance. As before, it was available as a sedan and a wagon, with two initial powertrain choices: hp four-cylinder engine and hp VR6.

Later on, from , a four-cylinder turbodiesel was available, making 90 hp. The Passat was a revelation in the U. This was another example of platform sharing, with the Passat being closely related to the Audi A4 and A6. The car was facelifted during the model year and was available with no fewer than four engines over its lifecycle: hp turbodiesel four, hp 1.

The Volkswagen Passat comes with a 2. The power is taken to the front wheels via the 6-speed automatic Tiptronic transmission. At the exterior, Passat retains the ma With no less than 30 million Passat models having spawned from Wolfsburg and over 7 generations of the nameplate creating its own legen, the eighth iteration of the model in mid-cycle facelift guise was unveiled in Thanks to a cornucopia of technology added to the model, most of the new features having trickled down from some of the more premium car brands under the Volkswagen Group umbrel The Volkswagen Passat debuted with a new design that combines stylish clarity with a high level of impressive power, features that merge both on the exterior and interior.

The exclusive image of the new Passat was achieved in part by a wide variety of extremely precisely drawn edges and creases which develop individual light-reflecting surfaces. The radiator grille is designed to be signifi Volkswagen did an excellent job when it decided to build an American-special Passat for the model year, resulting in a lower price than on its predecessor.

The interior received only minor design changes, with important safety equipment like dual front airbags and seatbelt pre-tensioners. But what counted most was under the hood. The Turbocharged Direct Injection diesel engines made their appearance and finally managed to pass the hp mark: the 1.

The 2. Probably the generation that solidly established the Passat as the main choice for European customers searching for a mid-size car. With an even more aerodynamic body a Cx of 0. It also remains one of the best Passats to drive, with a sharp steering and solid performance on all types of roads. The engine range widened a lot from the previous generation and reached hp with the 2.

Diesel engines also increased their power, up to hp for the 2. Volkswagen's engineers decided to use an elongated Golf platform for the B6 Passat, with a transversely mounted engine. The interior was more spacious and upscale than the preceding generation, however, its assembly quality dropped, especially for the entry-level versions.

Fuel Stratified Injection FSI engines made their appearance, as well as a 4Motion Haldex Traction multi-plate clutch for the 4x4 version, able to split torque between the two axles when needed.

The R36 version had a 3. There were some problems with some of the engines and the DSG transmission, although the 1. A hp 3. Don't forget about the CC version, launched in , and developed as a separate model in subsequent years. Keeping up with the tradition, the B7 was not a new generation, but merely a facelift of the B6.

Featuring a new grille, new headlights, and a different roof, it looked like a brand new model. The previous generation Volkswagens were generally viewed to be on par with their Audi cousins.

On the four wheel drive version, the transverse-engine platform dictated a switch from the Torsen center differential of the B5 to the Haldex multi-plate clutch. This change also changes the handling closer to a front wheel drive car, with understeer -- and better fuel economy. Unlike the Torsen, the Haldex can only respond after slippage has occurred. It does this with a jolt which may cause the remaining wheels with traction to lose their grip.

The Haldex can direct power more unequally than the Torsen, which was limited to or in the B5 Passat. This may help with extraction from deep sand, although the Passat is far from being an off-road vehicle. Fuel stratified injection is used in nearly every petrol version of the Passat, ranging from 1. In the US market, it features a hp kW 2. Also new to this platform is the fact that the GL, GLS, and GLX trim levels are now substituted by the more simpler way of classifying by the engine 2.

The all-new fourth-generation Passat sometimes referred to as the 5th generation Passat B5 platform was launched in in Europe and in North America, and was an entirely new car design from the ground up. It was significant in that it returned to sharing a platform with an Audi the Mk I Audi A4 from , again using the classic "overhung" longitudinally mounted engine with front wheel drive.

The Mk 4 Passat was a very significant car in its class. In fact, the quality of the Passat was on a par with its sister Audi A4 and it undoubtedly took some sales from its more costly premium in-house rival.

Rivals launched before now appeared cheap. However, the advent of the Mk 4 Passat meant that most mainstream rivals in the class had to raise their game with interior quality to the point where there are now virtually no differences in quality levels between mainstream and premium cars in the class. The Ford Mondeo was the first car to show the effect the Mk 4 Passat had on the class.

Only the budget brands in the class have not raised their game, but this is reflected in their prices. Volkswagen was about to play the same game in the class below with the Mk IV Volkswagen Golf in Style-wise the Passat introduced a new design language, first seen on the Concept 1 concept car, for the latest generation of Volkswagens.

The Passat also influenced the styling of many yet-to-be-launched rivals. Dynamically, the most notable thing about the Passat was its good ride, which was as good as anything produced by Mercedes-Benz or BMW. The handling though was generally accepted to be some way off the standards of the Mk I Ford Mondeo and the Peugeot which was launched in The interior was also luxurious and well equipped, with a long equipment list which included power windows , air conditioning , CD player, power mirrors, power sunroof and leather upholstery.

The car featured sophisticated 4-link front suspension , designed to eliminate torque steering. All wheel drive was later introduced as an option, using an expensive Torsen center differential which helps avoid loss of traction by using a power distribution under normal conditions, and gave excellent superior handling on slick surfaces.

The B5 Passat shared its platform with the Audi A4. Power came from entirely new 1. The 1. Two transmission options were available: a 5-speed manual transmission and a 5-speed automatic transmission.

In mid, the Passat received a facelift, involving a minor tweaking of the styling and some mechanical alteration, and the platform is now commonly known as the B5.

Although some of the body panels remained unchanged, new projector-optic headlights and bumpers gave the car a fresher look. The Passat was still very much the comfortable, well-built and luxurious large saloon and estate which had been launched four years earlier.

Traditional Volkswagen trademarks of build quality and reliability continued to boost the Passat's reputation. The naturally aspirated 1. In , a powerful 2.