2016 Volkswagen Passat: We’re Driving It This Week

The German brand’s midsize sedan gets a significant update for the 2016 model year, including fresh styling, a new interior and an infotainment system with plenty of connectivity features.

The Car Guide will be heading to Vermont to try out the 2016 Volkswagen Passat which, at launch, will offer two engine options. A turbocharged 1.8L four cylinder with 170 horsepower will still serve as the base powerplant, and is said to be more fuel efficient than the 2015 edition. A 280 horsepower, 3.6L V6 will continue to serve as the optional power upgrade. What about a diesel engine? Uh, let’s not go there, for now at least.

Interior fit and finish has been improved, according to Volkswagen, and the new MIB II interface will – finally – include a USB port in addition to better smartphone integration, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functions. The Passat will also embrace the latest in electronic safety driving aids, such as forward collision warning and autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitoring and lane departure warning.

Our full report on the 2016 Volkswagen Passat is now available on The Car Guide.

Share on Facebook

More on the subject

Test Drives2018 Volkswagen Passat: Straight Arrow
Could there be a more cutthroat segment in the industry than the midsize sedan one? The midsize crossover segment could also be one, but I find the sedan market to be particularly intense and we’ve seen several automakers just pull out entirely. If the product isn’t stellar, it stands no …