Volkswagen Killed the Passat Sedan in All Countries
As car shoppers increasingly buy crossovers and SUVs, sales of sedans have significantly decreased. As a result, automotive companies discontinued many of their sedan models. This includes Volkswagen. The German automaker previously announced that it will discontinue the Passat midsize sedan in the United States after the 2022 model year. Volkswagen follows suit in the rest of the world, as it will kill off the Passat sedan in all countries.
Is Volkswagen discontinuing the Passat sedan?
In July 2021, Volkswagen revealed that it will kill off the Passat sedan for the U.S. market. As reported by CarBuzz, the automaker ceased production of the Passat Sedan for global markets at the end of 2021. Like the U.S. market, the Passat sedan will be discontinued for global markets following the 2022 model year.
The Passat sedan that’s available in other countries differs from the American-spec Passat. In the U.S., the Passat is larger and is based on an older platform. The global-spec Passat has been sold since 2014. Regardless of the platform, the end of the road is near for the Passat sedan.
Why is Volkswagen killing off the Passat sedan?
The sales of the Passat sedan are low. It’s no longer financially feasible for Volkswagen to sell the Passat sedan. As a result, Volkswagen will discontinue it. With the crossover and SUV wave sweeping the world, consumers don’t buy sedans like the Passat as much as they did in past years and decades.
The Passat station wagon will still be available in Europe
Volkswagen killed the Passat sedan, but it will still sell the Passat station wagon in Europe. Relative to the U.S., station wagons are considerably more popular in Europe. In fact, the Passat station wagon has outsold the Passat sedan in Europe by a 2:1 margin since 2019.
The continued availability of the Passat station wagon could be the reason why the Passat sedan is not getting as big of a send-off in Europe as it has in the U.S. In America, Volkswagen created a Limited Edition model of the Passat. Only 1,973 units of the 2022 VW Passat Limited Edition will be built, which is a nod to the first year (1973) of production of the Passat. The Passat Limited Edition also has unique features, such as exclusive paint finishes and 18-inch alloy wheels, as well as design touches that reference the Chattanooga Plant where the Passat is built.
Which Volkswagen model will replace the Passat?
With the discontinuation of the Passat, will Volkswagen find a replacement for it? As far as a replacement, Volkswagen still offers the Arteon midsize sedan. Compared to the Passat, the Arteon has a sportier design and provides better performance and driving dynamics.
If Volkswagen has an official replacement for the Passat, it likely won’t be released until 2023. The automaker currently is working on the Aero-B, an electric car that has a similar size as the Passat. Volkswagen intends the Aero-B to be a direct competitor to the Tesla Model 3. It did not yet announce if the Aero-B will be released in the U.S., though. Either way, a gas-powered version of the Passat sedan will not be available again.
