2020 Volkswagen Passat GTE Estate (UK?Spec)
- Plug-in hybrid Passat GTE is back with increased electric range
- New 2.0-litre TDI EVO engine opens for order
- 1.5-litre TSI EVO engine added to line-up as pricing is confirmed
Following the announcement last month that the new enhanced Passat is open for order , Volkswagen has now revealed further details of additional engines available. With these additions the Passat range now starts from £25,370 RRP OTR for the 1.5 TSI EVO 150 PS saloon in entry-level SE trim. With the same trim and engine, the estate starts from £27,185 RRP OTR.
As production of the new, enhanced Passat ramps up after orders opened last month, more engines – including the popular plug-in hybrid GTE model – are now available to order.
The updated Passat GTE has an electric-only range of 43 miles NEDC (33 to 361 miles WLTP), an increase over the previous 31 mile (NEDC) range. It will start from £36,390 RRP OTR for the saloon and £37,920 RRP OTR for the Estate representing a saving of £1,635 over the outgoing Passat GTE. The previous car accounted for one in ten Passat sales in the UK but the new improved GTE is expected to become even more popular, accounting for one in four Passat sales.
GTE standard features include 17-inch ‘Nivelle’ alloy wheels, sports suspension, blue brake calipers, distinctive signature ‘C’ shape front LED running lights, Discover Navigation system with 8.0” colour screen and a charging point in the radiator grille. If customers opt for the GTE Advance model, they will benefit from 18-inch ‘Monterrey’ alloy wheels, IQ.Light LED matrix headlights, Discover Navigation Pro with 9.2” colour screen and keyless entry with an easy open boot.
2020 Volkswagen Passat GTE Estate (UK-Spec)
The 1.5-litre TSI EVO 150 PS four-cylinder petrol engine with Active Cylinder Shutdown (called EVO in Volkswagen nomenclature) is also now available to order. This technology can shut down two of the four cylinders under certain low-load conditions in order to save fuel. It is available with a six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG transmission. In SE trim with a manual gearbox this engine and trim represent the entry-point into the Passat range, starting at £25,370 RRP OTR.
The all-new 2.0-litre TDI EVO has opened for order with a seven-speed DSG transmission, with a newly designed six-speed manual transmission available soon. This new engine also features Active Cylinder Shutdown, a first for a Volkswagen brand diesel engine. An extensive re-design results in a significant reduction in CO2 emissions compared with the previous version of this engine. When the manual transmission arrives later this year this version is expected to account for most Passat sales in the UK.
Patrick McGillycuddy, Head of Sales Operations at Volkswagen UK, said: “We are very pleased to have such a strong offering in the new Passat. It debuts many exciting new technologies for the Volkswagen brand such as Travel Assist and wireless App Connect, so is the perfect companion for families and business users that travel long distances.
“The previous Passat GTE was incredibly popular in the UK and I’m happy to say that we have increased the mix for the new model to match this strong demand. In fact, we expect 25% of sales for the new Passat will be the GTE.”
