The Volkswagen Passat will be ending its time in the USA after having seen 22 years of impressive sales. The reason for this is to prepare the plant where it is assembled for production of electric vehicles. Celebrating its success in the market is a limited edition model with design cues celebrating its heritage.
Since 2011, the Volkswagen Passat has been assembled at the brand’s Chattanooga plant in Tennessee alongside the Atlas SUV.
“We’ve sold some version of the Passat for nearly 50 years, and the Passat launched our relationship with Chattanooga, which supports thousands of jobs,” said Scott Keogh, President and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America. “With the Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport in high demand, and the North American production launch of the all-electric ID.4 SUV next year, our future in Chattanooga looks brighter than ever.”
The limited edition model that puts an end to the era of the Volkswagen Passat in the USA will be limited to just 1 973 units; a tribute to the year the badge was introduced globally by the brand. It will be available in four unique color combinations with the number on each model that pays homage to an aspect of the vehicle’s past.
Aurora Red metallic models with Titan Black interior will number 411 units that represent the original vehicle production code. Racing Green Metallic models with Mauro Brown interior will be number 423, for the Chattanooga area code, and Pure White models with Mauro Brown interior will number 524 units, signifying the opening date of the Chattanooga Plant on May 24, 2011.
To round out the limited run, 615 Platinum Grey metallic models with Titan Black interior will be produced, signifying six generations of the imported Volkswagen Passat, one generation assembled in Chattanooga, and five decades of USA sales.
Last year, a report suggested that the current generation of the Volkswagen Passat could be the last, with a suitable replacement coming in the shape of an electrified sedan. The Passat’s demise in SA took place in 2019 as it was replaced by the Arteon which was also discontinued shorty after due to a poor round of sales.
