from carsales

no more 147tsi!!! or 103TDI...

German importer Volkswagen has just added a bit more zest to the Passat range, repositioning one variant as the new entry-level model, deleting a couple of others and upgrading still more.

The 103TDI model and the 147TSI have both been discontinued, with the 1.8-litre 118TSI variant assuming the mantle of entry-level model for the range. Pricing for this vehicle, with the standard seven-speed DSG transmission is $38,990.

Described by Volkswagen as the most popular model in the range, the Passat 2.0 125TDI has been upgraded to Highline spec for this year. The radiator grille now features chrome finish, fog lights are fitted standard and the wheels are now 17x7.5-inch Monte Carlo alloys. Inside, the car features front sports seats and is trimmed in Napa leather and brushed aluminium decorative highlights.

Further upmarket, the Passat V6 FSI Highline now gains Chicago 18x8-inch alloys, sports suspension, 12-way adjustable electric front seats (with three-position memory for the driver's), a dipping passenger-side mirror when reverse gear is selected and a 'Media Device Interface' (MDI).

For the R36 models (pictured), the Passat is upgraded with 65 per cent dark-tinted rear/side windows and the MDI. In wagon form, the R36 with six-speed DSG transmission is the new flagship of the range, priced at $66,990.

Across the range, options now include Adaptive Cruise Control/Front Assist, Park Assist, Adaptive Chassis Control, Lane Assist and the now voice-controlled RNS510 radio navigation system.