Volkswagen Passat Variant 1997 posters


Volkswagen Passat Variant

The fourth-generation Passat (also known as the 5th generation Passat, and built on the B5 platform) was released in 1996 in Europe and 1998 in North America. It was an all-new car from the ground up, and was also unique in that it was sharing its platform with the Mk I Audi A4 from 1994, once again featuring the classic "overhung" longitudinally-mounted engine with front wheel drive. The Mk 4 Passat was a very significant vehicle in its class. VW used this car to move its products upmarket and fill a gap between its mainstream machines and its premium cars, leaving SEAT and Škoda to its former market as "mainstream" brands. On top of this, its interior quality was a lot better than seen on mainstream cars in the class before, competing with the luxury of its sister model, the Audi A4. This made the £16,000 starting price for the Passat in the UK a little more palatable, though it was over £1,000 more expensive than the Ford Mondeo. Because of this, rivals who had been released prior to 1996 seemed much cheaper by comparison. The Mk 4 Passat forced other mainstream rivals in the class to also improve their interior quality, making competition even tighter. This effect is easily seen in the 2000 Ford Mondeo, and today there is barely any difference in the quality levels between mainstream and premium vehicles in this class. Budget brands are the outliers here, with prices that reflect their low-end quality. VW followed this same strategy by releasing the Mk IV Volkswagen Golf in 1997. The Passat was also the first car to showcase Volkswagen's new design language, which was first seen on the Concept 1 concept car - other newer Volkswagens such as the Mk IV Golf, Bora and Mk IV Polo were also influenced by this styling. In terms of its driving dynamics, the Passat had an excellent ride quality, make it on par with cars produced by Mercedes-Benz or BMW. The handling however, wasn't quite up to the standard of the Ford Mondeo and the Peugeot 406, which was launched in 1995. Despite this, its interior was luxuriously equipped, with added features such as power windows, air conditioning, CD player, power mirrors, power sunroof and leather upholstery. The car also featured a sophisticated 4-link front suspension and, later on, an optional all-wheel-drive system with a Torsen center differential, providing superior handling on slick surfaces. The Passat was powered by either a 1.8 L turbocharged 4-cylinder (150/170 bhp) or a 2.8 L V6 (190 bhp), both coupled with a 5-speed manual or automatic transmission.

Make a statement with the Volkswagen Passat Variant 1997! Get high-quality posters, mousepads, t-shirts, and calendars featuring the iconic car of 1997. Add some style to your workspace or wardrobe and make a statement with the Passat Variant 1997!