The B8 Volkswagen Passat was getting too expensive for India due to increase in duties thereby reducing feasibility to launch the model in India in a slow selling segment.
You read it first on MotorBeam. Launched overseas late last year, Volkswagen India has decided to not bring the eighth generation Passat sedan in the country despite planning to do so earlier. The major reason cited for cancelling the Passat B8 has been the rise in duties, which does not make it feasible anymore to launch the sedan in the slow selling D+ segment. Volkswagen had discontinued the Passat in 2013 owing to poor demand and it now seems that the model won’t make a comeback anytime soon. The auto giant will instead concentrate on its existing range with the 2015 Jetta facelift being its next major launch for the year.
It is certainly unfortunate that the 2015 Volkswagen Passat won’t be coming to India. Unarguably one of the best products to come from Volkswagen in recent times, the Passat B8 packs a host of segment first features, while also getting a larger wheelbase over the outgoing model. Based on the new MQB platform, the 2015 Passat has made extensive use of high-tensile strength steel and aluminium in its construction losing 85 kgs; while the model also gets an all-digital instrument cluster and a range of driver assist systems. Power comes from the newly developed 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo diesel engine tuned to produce 240 PS and 500 Nm of torque, paired to a 7-DSG automatic gearbox.
Surprisingly, the Passat’s Czech sibling the Skoda Superb has been the only model in its segment to do consistently well as it sold over 1336 units in 2014. The competition on the other hand could not come even close to its sales with the Hyundai Sonata and Toyota Camry barely managing double digit units every month. It will be interesting to see if Skoda brings the next generation Superb to India that shares its underpinnings with the new Passat that is set to be unveiled next month in Prague. Skoda trying to position itself as a premium car maker will likely get the new Superb to the country while Volkswagen is chasing volumes.
