Some people are fanatical about Volkswagens. They cherish their ancient Beetles while awaiting a People's Car revival later this year, buy Golfs and Jettas when they need new cars, bemoan the loss of the practical, roomy vans that were
once a company mainstay. Vocal as they can be, however, VW enthusiasts are not a numerous bunch.
There's another, larger group whose members wouldn't recognize a current VW if it slid down their chimneys wrapped
in a neat bow. The latter are the potential customers the company is targeting with a complete reworking of its midsize
Passat sedan.
In its quest to generate sales, VW has taken two major steps. The first, and most obvious, is a move away from the
anonymous styling characteristic of past Passats. Of equal or greater importance is the use of components shared with
corporate sibling Audi.
Volkswagen's own hardware is plenty good, so this borrowing of powertrains and chassis platforms might seem unnecessary