2020 Volkswagen Passat Gets New Design and Engine Tweaks

Though the holidays are right around the corner, the automotive industry is collectively looking toward the trade shows taking place in January. The 2020 Volkswagen Passat will break cover during the 2019 Detroit Auto Show, and the German firm has released a trio of teaser sketches to give us a preview of its next sedan. The segment is shrinking, but Volkswagen still believes in it.

The sketches suggest the Passat will boast a bolder front end characterized by a three-slat grille that stretches into a pair of angular headlights. The back end receives sharper-looking lights. The 2020 isn’t a brand-new model — it’s still based on the platform that has underpinned the current model since 2011 — but Volkswagen noted that every body panel with the exception of the roof is new.

We haven’t seen the interior yet, but we’re not expecting a drastic departure from today’s Passat. The clean, straight line that emphasize the cabin’s sense of width will likely remain. Kai Oltmanns, the product marketing manager for the Passat, told Digital Trends the sedan will come with an 8-inch touchscreen that will display the latest version of Volkswagen’s infotainment system. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility will come standard.

Volkswagen hasn’t released technical specifications, but Digital Trends got the opportunity to drive a preproduction 2020 Passat at the company’s proving grounds in sunny Arizona. We learned that power comes from an updated version of the turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine found in the 2019 model. It makes 174 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque, an increase of 23 lb-ft. over the current model. The four-cylinder spins the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission.

Volkswagen won’t offer a manual transmission, unsurprisingly. The V6 won’t be available at launch, but Autoblog learned a model with more power, in the vein of the Passat GT, could appear a little bit later in the production run. Your guess is as good as ours when it comes to what will be under the hood. Volkswagen has the six in its stable, but it also has access to a number of high-performance, turbocharged four-cylinder engines.

Made in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the 2020 Volkswagen Passat will arrive in showrooms din 2019. Pricing information will be released closer to its on-sale date. To add context, the 2019 model currently in showrooms carries a base price of $25,295.