Volkswagen has been betting heavily on diesel power to bring them sales in the D-segment, both with the Jetta and the Passat. It is no secret that the petrol powered Jetta will be launched soon, with multiple sightings of the vehicle under going tests across India. Now the German automaker will be launching the petrol version of the Passat in early March, which will be around Rs. 1.5 lakhs cheaper than the diesel version. Thus Volkswagen will be able to challenge Honda and Toyota, which offer only petrol variants of the Accord and Camry respectively. The Passat is a twin of the Skoda Superb in many ways and the petrol variant will be similarly equipped as well.
The Volkswagen Passat petrol will be powered by the same tried and tested 1.8-litre TSI engine, which also happens to do duty in the Skoda Laura and Superb. The same engine will also debut in the Jetta petrol, which is set for an April arrival. This 1.8-litre motor uses stratified direct injection along with turbocharging to produce 160 BHP of peak power and 250 Nm of torque. The engine is extremely good on NVH levels and very frugal too. Expect close to 10 kmpl in crowded city driving. The launch of the petrol version of the Passat could be at the right time, when the Government is considering excessive tax on diesel powered cars.
