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Passat B6 and the Audi overlap.

I just finally got to read about the upcoming B6 Passat. It looks like the replacement for the 30-valve 2.8 will be a 3.6 litre V6 making 280 horsepower, and I still hear rumors of 300 horsepower version, perhaps powered by a turbocharged 3.2 VR6. Audi's new top-spec motor for the A4 (not counting the S4) is the 3.2 litre, 250 horspower FSI V6, and the Passat's new interior is awful similar. I didn't think much of the Pheaton, because everyone knew it was bound for nearly non-existant sales numbers and with a mostly steel body and frame it's not quite as "nimble" as the A8. But the new (MKV) Golf and upcoming B6 Passat are very odd choices, they really do step on Audi's shoes, namely the A3 and A4 models. With VW continuing to press on Audi's heels and Audi apparently either unwilling or uncapable of making a BMW beater (at least with the non-S cars) it seems like either Audi is not long for this world, or VW is seriously over-extending the boundries of what people want, expect and will pay for in a VW badged car. We love the two we have and are considering a third (a

2005 Jetta GLI), but god, this is strange marketing. It's almost as distrubing as how close the Corvette is getting to the 911 in terms of performance. Steve Grauman
Reply to
Steve Grauman
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Remember, they show you the luxury version in the pictures - and luxurious but smaller cars are more popular in Europe then over here in North America... They have stripped down Golf V's that don't dare compete with the Audi A3 (this is more like a 4-door GTI, so over here it's a good thing since we don't get that version of the GTI)... VW North America buys the cars that they think people will want, I guess they think they will want only Golf GLS's maybe?

The Passat vs A4 - isn't a Passat a more roomy car? The one time I was in an A4 the back seat seemed to have not much more room then a Golf.

Corvette vs 911? - They've been close forever - Car and Driver had a recap on the 911 vs Porsche duals they have done and they've always had similar performance only now the Vette' is starting to keep up in cornering - used to win on raw power alone.... Tho it's not a good deal faster then the

Reply to
Rob Guenther

AIUI the next-generation Passat is not on the B6 platform, but instead a stretched version of the A5 platform. (VW calls it "PQ46", FWIW.) Meanwhile, the Audi A4 will be moving on to the B7 platform.

-- Mike Smith

Reply to
Mike Smith

Yes the Passat is definitely roomier. I'd put the Passat more against an A6 in terms of size anyway. The A4 is barely any larger than a Jetta IV inside.

Reply to
Matt B.

Unfortunately Passats can get confusing like that. Same happened with the B3 Passat which also wasn't a B3 really...it was more related to the A2 platform.

Reply to
Matt B.

Well, they're wrong, at least in my case. Back in Nov. '02 when I bought my Passat, what I *really* would've liked was a 4-door Golf

4Motion with VR6. That combination existed in Europe at the time AIUI, but not the US.

-- Mike Smith

Reply to
Mike Smith

That's what I thought!

Reply to
Rob Guenther

Reply to
Rob Guenther

The marketing philosophy for the Pheaton was to compete with Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The big, and expensive VW's are marketed for "luxury," while Audis, including the A8 are marketed as "sporty."

The next gen Passat will be less Audi-like, as it will have a transverse engine rather than longitudinal.

As far as Audi competing with BMW, my thought is that A4 and bigger Audis should be RWD with AWD available as an option, but that's just my thought. The fact remains, though, that in their home markets in Europe, it appears that people buying VW's for taxis, etc. are buying Passats, and those buying "mid range" VW's for private use are mostly buying A4's. It's kind of like with Crown Vics and Grand Marquis in North America. All the taxis and cop cars are Crown Vics, and nearly all the similar cars bought by "civilians" are Grand Marquis.

Reply to
Kokomo Kid

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