May 26th, 2011 by Ross Edwards
Volkswagen has announced that the 2012 VW Passat will have a base price of $19,995. That’s a $8,305 price drop compared to the 2009 Passat, which started at $28,300.
The 2012 VW Passat will occupy a space between the Jetta and the CC, which was originally a spinoff model based on the previous generation Passat. The Passat’s new sub-$20,000 price will allow it to compete better with the Toyota Camry, Chevy Malibu, Honda Accord and Ford Fusion, all of which start around the $20,000.
The new 2012 VW Passat will be powered by Volkswagen’s five-cylinder, 170-horsepower engine, which has been available in the Jetta and Golf for several years, and will come with a five-speed manual transmission, according to Autoblog. The 2012 Passat will also be available with a 43-mpg diesel engine for $25,995 or a 280-hp VR6 engine for $28,995.
The base model 2012 Passat will come equipped with automatic dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth connectivity and steering wheel mounted audio controls. For $23,725, the 2012 VW Passat SE comes with heated seats, a touch screen audio system, a six-speed transmission, power seats and 17-inch alloy wheels.
The 2012 VW Passat TDI is definitely the star of the Passat lineup. The price on the TDI is higher than the base model by a significant amount, but all TDI models will come with the SE equipment standard, so the extra cost of the 40+ mpg diesel engine is only $2,270. For comparison, the Toyota Camry Hybrid starts at $27,050 and the Ford Fusion Hybrid at $28,600.
Images via Autoblog.
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