FIRST Real-Life Shots Of The 2012 VW Passat - YOU Make The Call: Can It Be A Sonata Beater?

Good looking vehicle, but if it is made anywhere near the same plant as the Jetta this car will be a reliability nightmare.

Hard to imagine but this is even more boring than the Camcord.

This car has no expression what so ever, the word Novocaine comes to mind.

correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the Passat a 30k+ car and the sonata is a 20k+? wouldn't it make more since to compare it to the genesis sedan?

you are wrong poot66. the Pasat is a direct competitor to the Altima, Accord, Camry, a 20k+ segment.

Passat build, active safety and handling should trump bland design (or so VW hopes).

The new design language for the 2012 Passat is certainly attractive in a handsome, rugged way. However, sadly the style of the interior looks to be the same old VW Teutonic(bland)fare from the 80's with hard plastics and sub par materials throughout.

The exterior is passable, but the interior is unforgivable. I agree with Monopoly.

More of the same...seems like VW's going the route of Audi+BMW with identical looking cars. Not a bad idea, given the success of Audi and BMW's designs

Has anyone here read about or know anything about the Passat?

For 2012, the Passat will move downscale to the family sedan category. Volkswagen is targeting the Sonata and the Accord. The Passat will cost around $20,000, offer more than the Accord and Sonata,according to Volkswagen, and it will be the only family sedan in the US with a diesel powertrain.

The new Passat is built in Tennessee by itself. The plant will probably also build the Jetta later on,but for now it's just the Passat.

To fill in the gap of the last generation Passat, Volkswagen is bringing a luxury car to compete against the Genesis. Anyone order a Phaeton?

I think as has been stated that it's all a matter of taste. The Passat is what I would call "Handsome Conservative". The Sonata I would call "Good Looking Swoopy".The Passat reminds me of the older style Euro sedans from the 80's and 90's from Mercedes,BMW, and Audi. It's controls seems simply to figure out and use.It does not have an interior dashboard that reminds one of a "playstation".The interior may be conservative but with the wood it looks "upscale" more from a mid 30's or 40 grand sedan rather then a car that well sell from 20 grand up to 32 grand.It will sell well because it will attract the mainstream buyer who wants that Euro look and feel like an Audi but in a roomy package. I predict the diesel is going to be the hot ticket. It starts $2500 less then a Fusion Hybrid and gets better gas mileage in both highway and city.

Wow it is so........ plain. The interior reminds me of dashboards back in the 80's or 90's. The extrior looks ok but VW will have to worry about that 2012 Malibu, Optima and Sonata. What a bore.

The Sonata is to loud. KIA Optima is a more fair comparison.
2012 VW Passat: Chattanooga, Tennessee
2011-2012 KIA Optima: West Point, Georgia
The Optima will beat the Passat in style, Hybrid option, and warranty.

BORING. VW is well on its way to replace Toyota as the makers of the most passionless cars on the planet.

Darker colors hide blandness of new Passat little bit but very poor work by VW designers IMO. Seems like Hyundai-VW have exchanged designers lately. Not even one interesting design cue. It is just an anonymous huge sedan. Interior looks fine but seeing it on VWs for 4-5 years now.

The difference between Camry and Accord is that VW has a reputation for below average reliability, so they need to back this car up with a much better warranty than normal, rebates and easy finance to move in numbers.

Still think they should have come up with 5 passenger CC design. In any case VW dealers are not common, so good luck.

g2ok-I agree with the 1st part of of your argument. Clearly VW biggest problem has been it's reliability. The track record out of the plant in Puebla Mexico has not been great.This is to me the one issue that could hold them back from 800,000 sales. The second part of your argument I respectfully disagree with. This is where everybody on this thread is in fact incorrect.People keep thinking that it will be the lack of avangarde styling that keep VW back. If that were the case then explain to me why Jetta sales have taken off this yr. This in a conservatively styled car with cheaper interior plastics,a beam rear axle,and a base engine that is 20 yr old technology. It's got a lot of rear room in it and has an enormous trunk and still has the cache of a Euro car.So what gives?

Yeah for VW selling its soul! That's effectively what you're saying.

As a past and current VW owner, I think it looks just fine. I have no issues with my 2006 Jetta's "reliability", so in my humble opinion VW has made great strides in recent years.

I am really waiting to see this in person, but I fear they have made it just a tad too large for my liking. My current 2003 Passat is as large as I'd want in a new car, but the specs say this is even larger. I would buy the new Jetta, but they have decontented that one too far for my liking. This Passat comes with everything I would want except HIDs and LED tail lights, and with the diesel it would be a touch over 30k. Just don't know about the size. Have to see it...

Its a clean and simple design. The car isnt over styled like many these days. IMHO, its more of a masculine design opposed to the curvy and swoopy competition.

I know times are changes and we are on 2011, but to compare and ask if a German cars is a Sonata beater, wow. Interesting.
All German car has superior safety features,quality,just open the door and feel it. They don't copy like others just make it for years.
Keep our feet on the floor is important and use our brain too. This is a real world not wonderland lol.

Design looks like it's from the 90s.

Boring!!! Trashy dashboard!