We'll keep this brief, in keeping with the brevity of the list of changes Volkswagen has made to its mid-size Passat for 2020. As Volkswagen itself puts it, "While the 2020 Passat retains the underpinnings of the previous model, it has been completely restyled." Indeed, wrapped around the outgoing Passat's body structure, chassis, engine, and transmission is fresh sheetmetal. Peer through the windows, and you'll notice the interior is slightly newified, too.
Last year's Passat was a solid vehicle with a roomy interior and refined ride quality. Based on our brief drive in a prototype of the new Passat, those pluses remain. But then, they should—the car is basically the same as it was before.
Even though the new Passat shares only its roof with the old model and appears slightly more dapper, it remains instantly recognizable as a mainstream Volkswagen sedan. With its prominent body-side crease running from nose to tail and more three-dimensional front-end styling, the Passat closely resembles VW's compact Jetta.
It is a staid look, particularly compared to the appearance of the current Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and Mazda 6.
Up close, some of the detailing is upscale, namely the elegant creases adorning the rear quarter-panels and trunklid; other flourishes fail to impress, such as the chrome front-fender garnish, which was crooked on the Passat we saw in person.
Newly standard equipment for 2020 includes 17-inch aluminum wheels and full-LED exterior lighting.
The Passat's interior is similarly overhauled visually, in a style wholly reminiscent of the old Passat's cabin. A classy new full-width-appearing vent stretches from the center stack to the passenger door, although climate-controlled air only flows from its far right corner.
We detected no great leap forward in the cabin materials, which as before skew toward the basic end of the spectrum, particularly around the lower half of the door panels, the bottom of the dashboard, and the center console.
Volkswagen's other notable upgrades to its mid-size sedan have to do with the equipment it offers. An 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (along with SiriusXM satellite radio) is now standard.
As before, VW includes safety gear on the base model such as forward-collision warning, automated emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Buyers can pay more for adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and niceties such as 18- or 19-inch wheels, a Fender audio system, keyless entry with push-button start, and nappa leather seating surfaces
Competitors are putting on a braver face and lobbing ever more stylish, better-turned-out four-doors at shoppers to try to convince them to pass on a crossover or a truck. The not quite new, not quite stylish Volkswagen, on the other hand, is playing the unexciting role of a traditional mid-size sedan—the very format its fiercer competitors and customers are fleeing for flashier duds. Luckily for Volkswagen, it has the drop-dead gorgeous, more upscale Arteon sedan on its way to our shores.
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