Bold Move Or Miscalculation? Volkswagen Moves The Passat Down Market To Appeal To The Masses

Its a bold miscalculation.

It's a fail from the get go.

Hey, it's their fault for aiming low... I mean, why go after Toyota Camry/Honda Accord? Even Hyundai is doing better than that with their Sonata/Kia Optima. Gosh, I'm a little disappointed in VW for this move and the one similar move with the Jetta and I am a current VW owner.

If the Passat is going "Downscale" I can only imagine what they (VW) will be shooting for with the next Jetta? Does toyota still make the Yaris? I'm not sure why VW wants to go down appliance'ville. Might be good for sales, but it will relegate the brand to KIA like status. Call me when they make a desireable car.

VW has desirable cars. They're called Audis.

Good one!

I had a chance to drive the Passat last week at the factory in Tennesse. At first I was a bit skeptical myself, but it started to grow on me. Reminded me of a 2006 ish A8/Phaeton design. No one will complain about back seat space. It still drives better than any of its competitors in its class Camry/Accord/Sonata, and is better built than any of its competitors.

can't believe all the deboosts. Camry, Accord, Malibu or any other competitors do not drive anywhere near as good. their steering, response and body control and handling are nowhere near that of the Passat. I have driven them all, and my brother in laws 07 Passat 2.0t is way more of a thrill to drive. It handled far better, steering feel was superior, and the car was way more communicative and athletic feeling. The rest were very numb and vague. If I were in the midsize car market it would be my number one choice hands down.

Let market decide. The real problem is it still might not sell as well as Sonata. We'll see....

I think it is a good strategy. Lower price will get you more customers. They should also make sure they back it up with quality 'cause all of the competitors have decent reliability.

There is always Audi for the higher end market.

I just dont find VW's appealing...Accord it the best engineered car in the class.

dud... the cheapening of their vehicles may still be a good idea considering they have the Audi brand if you want a "better" VW

It will be a hit, you just wait; especially, its 2.0 diesel version. What other model can compete with that?

it's not overly de-contented...it's just cheaper to build a simpler engineered vehicle. Less the high end electronic nannies but just a simple mechanical car.

it's still a german engineered car.

just like iPod's and iPads are engineered in Cupertino and built in China. it's the original design/engineering and the quality control at the factory that are most important. Having Americans build it or Germans has no bearing on the quality of build. Last I looked this TN plant is the newest in the world and as such probably has the most up to date robotics/paint shop.

It's interesting that the Touareg is so nice, upscale and expensive.

With the way VW is going with the Passat and Jetta, I'm surprised VW didn't just come up with a FWD Ford Explorer competitor for the Toureg. I realize they are sharing Audi/Porsche platforms, but it doesn't jive with their strategy for Jetta/Passat. It seems they are going in a completely different direction with the Touareg than they are with the Jetta/Passat-- and all three of these vehicles are their "American-oriented" products..

I am a longtime Audi and VW guy. I keep a Jetta and an A4 in the same driveway if only because they are both fabulous, high quality vehicles, albeit with leases that are close to $200./month apart. If, as it appears, the m.o. is to dumb down the entire VW lineup so as to compete with the low end marques in terms of sales volume, good for VW and its bottom line. I, however, will continue to spend just that much more to get a better car. Those old enough to remember the VW "Fahrvergnügen" commercials understand that the VW mystique revolved around driving pleasure. Maintaining that while competing with Japanese and Korean econoboxes is unlikely.

Yes it has been moved downmarket. However it really is in terms of price only. First it is cheaper to build in Tennesee. 2nd they simplified the build options making it cheaper to build. Interior wize the quality is still there. In fact you have to say it's interior quality is similar to the previous Passat. It is roomier, it weighs less,it still has the same independent rear suspension. The only thing it does not offer is the turbo 4 cylinder engine. However the Diesel is an appealing and smart option getting 41 MPG.People may complain about it's styling but frankly looks no better or worse then a Camry or Accord. I frankly find it's interior more inviting then either.It certainly has a better handling chassis then the Camry and on par with the Accord. It also has more interior room then either.If I were in the market for a decent sized sedan I would look seriously at this new Passat. For around 23 grand with recenably options I think your getting a great car. Interesting that the avanguard design of the Mazda 6 is not reflected in sales. That alone prooves that conservative sells among the general buying public.

"Interesting that the avanguard design of the Mazda 6 is not reflected in sales."

I suspect they may have had better sales if they'd brought over the real Mazda 6 instead of crafting a different one for the US/Canada market. The "world" version is sportier and a better looking. I've always thought that the US/Canada version has awkward proportions on the front end.

Every single person here bitching about this car would never even buy it in the first place. The last-generation Passat was a class above its rivals in terms of pricing and marketing. As a result it didn't sell as well as VW had hoped. Now they are hoping to rectify this problem with the new Passat and their new strategy is already paying off with the new VW Jetta. Logic dictates that this formula should also work for the new Passat.

VW has the results of the market research they conducted. YOU DON'T. This research indicated that the Passat was probably not very competitive because of pricing and perceived premium status. VW is reacting to this information. Remember, they're a business and businesses are out there to make a profit.

Honestly, all this complaining about a cheap interior is silly. The new Passat has a good interior that is no different than its rivals. The average person on the street won't care. As long as the interior looks and feels good they'll be happy if they even pay attention to the interior materials int he first place. I've seen the new Jetta and I think the cabin is decent. It's by no means "cheap". Besides, the Passat is spacious, comfortable, feels sporty based on the current reviews and looks different from its equally understated and bland rivals. The price is right, to. In short: it's now competitive. That's what VW wants.

The masses will love it. Besides, the Camry, Accord, Optima and Sonata have always targeted the masses and done well in terms of sales. VW simply wants a piece of the market and this is their strategy. Deal with it and shut up.

I think that the point is that the Passat used to offer something that appealed to a niche market of people not interested as much in mainstream/vanilla sedans, and it's disappointing that that option is no longer available.

I agree with you, but VW is a business that exists to make profits.

Niche vehicles, which the last Passat arguably was, CANNOT KEEP A COMPANY ALIVE. VW had to adapt the Passat for a new role and this is the result. I think it'll do ok as it puts a previously "unreachable" car for some people within their financial reach. And at the end of the day it's still a good car.

In terms of driving dynamics this new Passat probably handles just as well as the previous one. The car comes at a base price of $20600(including destination).If you get the SE you get 8 way heated seats,Bluetooth connectivety etc.and out the door for around 23 to 24 grand.The appeal of spending 26 to 27 grand on the diesel and getting 800 miles to a tank is even more appealing. Further looking at the simulated wood trim reminds me of an upscale Audi. Taking styling for a moment I don't think it's profile is at all bad. I think people dont like the front end or rear styling. I think that is where the bland comes from.This car is missing 2 things from the previous car. 1)The 200 HP turbo 4 and the AWD on the top model.I think it's more then worth the 7 grand trade off for the starting off price and nearly 40 grande for the top of the line VR6 with the previous AWD. VW is not Audi, it is not BMW and therefore cannot charge those prices to get sales. I think the VW has finally woken up and decided to get competative in the US market.In the Passat you have a roomy car that gets fabulous mileage(diesel),who's interior looks more like a Phaeton in wood trim. If they can crack the reliability issue this car should be a winner. Just look what the Jetta has accomplished in it's dumbed down US only trim. It's supposedly on track for 150,000 car sales this yr.

They should market it as a grown mature car that is still youthful. Kind of like being the responsible conservative co-worker that never takes shortcuts and sets the example of good conduct at work, yet knows how to party and get wild after hours better than the guys at work that are loud and outgoing. Kind of like a tuxedo tshirt. on the outside its saying I want to be formal but the second you drive it quickly lets you know "I'm here to party"

They have there work cut out for them.

If the Passat goes downscale to the Camry and Accord segment, where does the CC fit in?