Volkswagen Passat axed in Australia

The current-generation Volkswagen Passat won’t make it to 2024 in Australia.

Volkswagen has confirmed the remaining variants of the Passat – the wagon and high-riding Alltrack – are in runout, and won’t be renewed for 2024.

Anyone who’s ordered a car will have their vehicle delivered, but prospective buyers will otherwise need to find one in stock at a dealer already.

The sedan hasn’t been available for 12 months, meaning the Passat will officially die in Australia later this year. A new Passat wagon is due to debut in Europe later this year, but it hasn’t been locked in for our market.

Coupled with the death of the Arteon liftback and Shooting Brake, the Passat’s exit leaves Volkswagen with no mid-sized passenger cars in Australia.

That won’t necessarily remain the case forever, with the ID.7 and ID.7 Shooting Brake electric cars not ruled out for our market.

Volkswagen says it’s “rationalising” its range as it gears up to welcome a trio of new electric cars Down Under in 2024.

“It’s a very deliberate decision to leave space within our dealerships, within our narrative to customers,” said Volkswagen Australia managing director Michael Szaniecki.

“It makes no sense to have Arteon, Passat, [and Golf Wagon] with ID.4, ID.3, ID.5,” Mr Szaniecki told CarExpert.

The Passat has been on sale in Australia since 1977 – albeit with a gap between 1982 and 1995.

The current model debuted in 2015, but has seen its range and role reduced over that time. The sedan was removed from sale in 2022, leaving two wagons and two Alltrack variants to fly the flag in Australia.

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