Volkswagen Passat future still uncertain

The future of the Volkswagen Passat in Australia is looking ever more precarious as the German brand continues to weigh up its options.

Sales of mid-size passenger cars like the Passat have been dwindling for years as new-car buyers flock to SUVs and crossovers, forcing Volkswagen to kill off the Passat sedan globally early last year.

The Passat wagon has survived and is due to be replaced by an all-new sixth-generation model in 2024.

Late last year, VW Australia said it expected to have made a decision on the vehicle’s local future by the end of March 2023.

Although we’re now into May, Volkswagen Group Australia’s head of communications, Paul Pottinger, said there was still no clarity over the Passat’s future.

“The answer is I’m not sure,” Pottinger said.

“We need clarity over that. If it comes to us it’ll be as a wagon only.

“We all know passenger vehicles are a five-door brand, whether that’s SUV or hatchback, and increasingly it’s SUV and that’s primarily where the interest is,” he added.

Numerous mid-size cars like the Subaru Liberty and Ford Mondeo have been axed in Australia, and there’s no sign that the current Mazda6 will get a replacement either.

Even the evergreen Toyota Camry has taken a beating this year, with sales down more than 50 per cent, which leaves the Tesla Model 3 as the only mid-size sedan that’s firing.

Volkswagen has sold 259 examples of the Passat wagon this year, compared to 8819 Model 3 EVs.

There’s no EV replacement for the Passat on the horizon, but a GTE plug-in hybrid is available overseas.

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