Volkswagen has already revealed the sporty-ish midsize sedan that will be available for the upcoming 2018 model year. The road-going model will stay true to the concept before it. You may have forgotten about the Passat GT concept but it looked like a GTI version of the sober sedan. It had a black grille with red accent lines, a more aggressive body kit, and sportier seats. The powertrain didn't receive any updates though, sticking with the normal Passat's VR6 engine with 280 hp and 258 pound-feet of torque. It had a dual-clutch automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. When it was shown, Volkswagen said that the idea came from feedback from dealers and consumers.
Volkswagen has announced that it’s working on a new six-cylinder turbocharged engine for the Euro-spec Passat’s hotter sister, the Arteon, and that it might end up in the Atlas three-row SUV currently offered with the aforementioned VR6. That being said, there are no signs the new mill will end up in the American Passat as chances are it is being developed for MQB products. To make it worthy of its “GT” suffix, VW of America will give the sporty Passat a stiffer suspension setup bringing a lower ride height, along with bigger wheels, and some styling tweaks inside and out in the same vein as the concept. It will probably be available strictly with a front-wheel-drive layout and a DSG transmission like the regular model.
Details about when VW will debut have not been disclosed, but the Los Angeles Auto Show in early December seems to be an appropriate venue for the production model’s premiere. It should hit dealerships shortly thereafter and will cost somewhere in the region of $30,000. It’s possible the German automaker will unveil the car online before it makes a public debut at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show as a follow-up to the concept.
