The Volkswagen Passat is Dead after 2023

The midsize VW Passat isn't long for this world as the company pivots to EVs and SUVs.

Volkswagen has stated that its Passat sedan will be no more in the United States “by the end of the decade”. It looks as if its demise will come sooner than later - by the 2023 model year. Its worth noting that an all-new Passat is already under development on the company’s MQB platform, but now Americans won’t get it. As you may guess, the primary reason for the Passat’s departure is… wait for it… growth in SUV popularity. Especially given the success of the VW Atlas family, which is actually quite a solid line of SUVs I must say. VW also plans to go all-in on electric vehicles and is retooling its factory in Tennessee to build EVs. However, I feel there’s other reasons that the Passat is going away in the U.S. that VW is hesitant to acknowledge...

I believe the most understated reason the Passat is going away is that the current Passat isn’t really the most "interesting" vehicle per se... While it is very roomy, it doesn’t feel quite as upscale as past Passats and it also doesn’t really offer anything super impressive or unique over its competition. Passat also only offers one engine, down from three several years back – a 2.0T making 174 HP, which is way less power than competing 2.0L turbo engines which routinely make 250+ HP. Now, I’m sure that there’s going to be some “Passat enthusiast” out there that’s been buying them since they came out back in 1990 that’ll be crushed that the Passat is going away, but I’m just not convinced this car is a major loss for Volkswagen at the moment. At least not in the American market given its sales vs. VW's SUVs.

Is it just me, or does the name
"Arteon" sound like a Pokemon?
Like Umbreon? Jolteon? Beautiful car, regardless. Hope
VW sells every one they make.

Most notably, Passat lacks an AWD option, which the larger and more luxurious (and personally, I must say STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL) VW Arteon fastback sedan and virtually every SUV these days does offer. Offering a redesigned Passat with AWD would ultimately cannibalize Arteon sales during a time where sedan sales are already sliding. Others have keenly noted that we also get a “watered down, Americanized Passat” vs. other areas of the world, such as Europe, which gets a very nice Passat (because sedans are not declining quite as fast in other world markets unlike the U.S.). However, we get the same Arteon as the rest of the world, making it a nicer alternative to the American Passat sedan if you’re willing to pay a little more. Honestly, I’m surprised VW is letting the Passat hang on that long into the decade. Something tells me we may get a “farewell edition” in 2022/2023. In the meantime, deals should be sweet.

The 2021 VW Passat starts at $22,995. Will you miss it when its gone? #Sedanapocalypse

Update 2022: The VW Passat is officially dead in the U.S. - production at VW's Chattanooga plant ended in early 2022. The factory will now turn to producing the ID.4 electric CUV.

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