1998-2005 Volkswagen Passat: Overview

Vehicle Highlights

Volkswagen borrowed some elements from A4 and A6 models issued by Audi, its sister-company, to give the redesigned Passat family sedan a touch of sportiness. Passat had been around since 1990, as Volkswagen's biggest automobile. Compared to the previous Passat, the new model was about 3 inches longer in wheelbase, 4 inches longer overall, and about an inch wider and taller. The new look reflected the crescent-form styling that had first been seen in sedans from Audi (which was owned by VW).Passat came in 4-door sedan and station wagon body styles. Introduced first was a GLS with Audi's 1.8-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. Later came a GLS V6 and a top-line GLX sedan, powered by Audi's 2.8-liter V6 engine. Wagons came only with the 4-cylinder this year. A 5-speed manual transmission was standard on GLS models. Optional on the GLS and standard on GLX was a Porsche-designed 5-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission, with manual-shift mode. Antilock braking, seat-mounted front side airbags, and low-speed traction control were standard in all Passats. The GLX added leather upholstery, a Monsoon sound system, and (on sedans) a rear-window sunshade. Rivals included the Ford Contour, Mazda 626, and Subaru Legacy.