Just like fellow German automaker BMW, Volkswagen sees the future–and it looks Chinese! But while BMW still performs strongly in the American market, Volkswagen–in particular its Passat model–can’t find its niche here. And guess what? VW doesn’t care–because there are more roads, drivers, and middle class aspirants in Beijing than in Michigan. And newly minted middle class drivers in China like midsize sedans–as opposed to Europe and America where the trend is toward either larger or much smaller cars.
Last year Volkswagen sold 420,000 Passats (including Passat twin, the Magotan) in China, according to inquisitr.com. That’s three times as many as were sold in the US–and the China sales are on the rise while the US figure declines. In VW’s latest press release describing the new models aimed at the US market, the company highlights eight bullet points about the new 2015 models. The Passat isn’t mentioned until number eight, when VW mentions that–along with the Beetle, Golf and Jetta TDI–it will get 10 more horsepower.