大众将在今年晚些时候向欧洲市场推出采用更新的MQB平台的2019款帕萨特改款车，最近该车合成图曝光。从图片看，该车与最近发布的Arteon和途锐有很多相似之处。可以肯定，新车也将采用大众新的闪亮格栅和前大灯。预计新车将采用略微改款前后保险杠和升级版照明系统，但改变很细微。大众并未透露帕萨特改款车任何细节，不过新车仍将继续提供Variant旅行车和GTE混动版本。不要指望新款帕萨特会配备取自新一代途锐的数字驾驶舱(InnovisionCockpit）以及15英寸触控显示屏，这需要对仪表板进行深度改进，这种改进更适合新一代车型而非改款车。当然，新车会增加一些新的安全系统和改进后的信息娱乐系统。大众豪华SUV是首次配备夜视系统的车型，或许帕萨特改款车会将该系统作为选装件给予提供。至于帕萨特高性能版本R36，预计将搭载3.6升V6引擎。
2019 VW Passat Facelift For Europe Imagined With Arteon Influences
While the U.S. will finally get an all-new Passat in 2019 to replace the aging model, Europeans will be given the opportunity to buy a refreshed version of the much newer MQB-based midsize model later this year. Announced mid-March, the facelifted Passat in Euro attire hasn’t been caught on camera by spies just yet, but knowing how VW refreshes its cars, it’s not that difficult to imagine the nip and tuck the designers have been working on for the sedan and wagon.
Having seen the closely related Arteon as well as the recently introduced Touareg, one could assume the Passat will also be getting VW’s shiny new grille that “meets” the headlights. Slightly modified bumpers and updated lighting clusters are also expected, but the changes will likely be on a subtle level as it was the case with the Golf 7.5. VW hasn’t shared any details about the tweaked Passat, other than saying it will continue to be available as a more practical Variant (wagon) and as a hybrid (GTE).
Don’t get your hopes up too high about the Passat getting the Touareg’s fancy Innovision Cockpit with the 15-inch touchscreen as that would require some extensive changes to the dashboard, changes which would be more suitable for a next-gen model rather than a mere facelift. Nevertheless, some new tech could be implemented like extra safety systems and a revised infotainment system. The new luxury SUV is the first model from the VW core brand to get a night vision system and perhaps the folks from Wolfsburg will offer the thermal imaging camera as an option for the Passat as well.
What we’d really like to see is a performance version to slot above the current 280-hp model taking into account VW is cooking up a new turbocharged V6 for the Arteon with well over 300 horsepower. It would serve as a spiritual successor for sporty Passat models such as the R36 with its 3.6-liter VR6 engine. However, this is just wishful thinking for now.