Spied: 2012 Volkswagen Passat Estate

We've seen camouflaged pre-production Volkswagen Passats. We've even seen a reportedly leaked picture of the new sedan from the front. What we haven't seen until now is the inevitable Passat Wagon.

As expected, a wagon version of the Passat is already under development and has finally been caught roaming the mountains of Europe. Like most wagons, the Passat Wagon is expected to be nothing more than a body style variant and mechanically identical to its sedan twin under the skin. Unfortunately, we don't know much about the sedan at this point, so we can't tell you much. We've heard, though, that it will offer a wider range of engines, and that will likely translate at least partially to the wagon if not completely.

Of course, at this point, we don't know how much any of this even matters to U.S. customers. Volkswagen is hard at work on the New Midsize Sedan exclusively for the North American market that many expect to replace the Passat here. If that's true, then these spy photos will only be of interest to our European readers, but Volkswagen has been extremely tight-lipped about its new sedans, refusing even to confirm the status of the Passat name in the U.S., much less the car itself. Regardless, the Passat is expected to debut in Paris this fall.
Thanks to: Motor Trend