Volkswagen will launch the next-generation Passat in India soon. The sedan based on the MQB platform will get a new plug-in hybrid powertrain, which Volkswagen claims is both efficient and powerful. Here are more details of the car that will take on the Toyota Camry hybrid in the premium segment.
The Passat GTE gets both the petrol engine and electric motor, powering the front wheels. The 1.4-litre petrol motor develops 152bhp, while the electric motor puts out 113bhp. Together both the units can deliver 214bhp and 400Nm of torque via the seven-speed DSG transmission.
The Passat is a plug-in hybrid, which means the batteries have to be charged from a plug point. It may seem rather tedious in country like India, especially in the cities, where finding a plug point in the parking isn’t easy. But the advantage is that, this technology offers better range. The Passat can do close to 50km, when the batteries are fully charged. So for people who drive less than 50km to office every day and have charging points both at home and office, the daily routine trip can effectively be done without using petrol. Also even when running purely on electric power, the Passat isn’t a slouch – it is capable of doing over 100kmph. As expected the ‘GT” in the GTE badge stands for grand tourer, which is one of the premium trims in the Volkswagen lineup. The car then gets all the features including the active parking assist.
Volkswagen understands that the infrastructure in India isn’t conducive for hybrid cars and the expectation in terms of numbers aren’t very high. However, the company will use this as a stepping stone to build awareness and gradually introduce hybrid cars in the lower segments.
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