Volkswagen are managing their appearance in the press as best as they can after their recent scandals, and thankfully the company has some interesting releases lined up that should allow them to keep attention away from the controversy and more focused on the good parts. The company seems very fond of talking about their upcoming models right now, which some have attributed to their legal issues, but in any case it’s good to see more details coming out about upcoming models like the 2016 Passat.
According to the manufacturer, the car is going to cost $22,440 on the US market once it arrives, clearing up the confusion over the pricing plans and putting some people’s minds at ease after there was some speculation that the price would be significantly higher. Some people were speculating that the issues the company was facing in the legal branch would reflect poorly on their sales and their overall performance on the market, requiring a price hike to compensate.
But that doesn’t seem to be the case and everything is coming along nicely. Some seem to believe that the suggested price increase wouldn’t have actually made any sense, as it would drag down the popularity of the model even more than the controversy around the company’s name, and that would get Volkswagen into even more trouble as far as their performance on the market is concerned.
The new model offers various features that should attract the attention of fans – not just those who like Volkswagen specifically, but auto lovers in general. It’s a well-balanced model that continues the trend of the Passat and offers a nice combination of features at an acceptable price, giving buyers the ideal everyday vehicle that will require relatively little maintenance in the long term.
It also comes with many special technological features like USB ports all over, a camera for the rearview mirror, and a touchscreen display for navigating the many functions offered by the car’s instrument panel. The display has been the subject of some discussion in the press lately, as many critics are fond of the quality work that Volkswagen have put in this part of the car, and have described it as one of the best in its class.
It should be noted that the price we mentioned above is for the default package, and without the destination charge. There are various other versions of the 2016 Passat which will of course cost more, going all the way up to $36,835 for the most advanced model with a 3.6 liter V6 engine. Of course, not everyone is going to need specifications like these, so the +50% price increase is not aimed at the general market. We are sure that there are plenty of people who would be paying attention to that model though, as there are lots of auto enthusiasts among the fan base of Volkswagen, and the company has been attracting people who like high-performing cars very successfully.
However, those waiting for a 2.0-liter diesel engine variant will be disappointed, at least for the time being. In light of recent developments, the certification on all the 2.0 TDI models by the company has been voided for an indefinite period of time, and we don’t know when Volkswagen will be allowed to resume selling cars with this engine. It’s clear that the company is in a lot of trouble right now in this regard, and this can actually cost them a lot of money in the long run.