Volkswagen has announced that it will be bringing a more powerful version of the Passat to Australia, effectively filling the void left by the much loved Passat R36 that was available in showrooms until 2010.
This spiritual successor will come in the form of the Passat 206TSI R-Line. Like the car it’s replacing, it will come either as a wagon or sedan that has its power sent to all four wheels via Volkswagen’s 4MOTION system.
Reportedly, the hot Passat will also feature VW’s adaptive chassis control, a lowered stance, and possibly a set of larger 19-inch wheels (the current Passat R-Line trim gets 18-inchers), and dynamic headlights when it arrives in the coming few months.
Aesthetically, it’s still unclear how much the Passat 206TSI will differ from the other tiers fitted with the R-Line exterior pack but we expect there to be some subtle changes to elevate the most powerful version.
Under the hood is Volkswagen’s staple EA888 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine which, while perhaps not being as visceral as the previous car’s 3.6-litre naturally aspirated 220kW/350Nm VR6, produces a slightly less power at 206kW but more torque at 380Nm.
Like other current-generation Passats, the incoming 206TSI version will be fully laden with technology such as Volkswagen’s Active Information Display that replaces the analogue instrument cluster with a 12.3-inch high-resolution display.
For more on Volkswagen vehicles, including pricing and specifications, check out our Showroom.
