Volkswagen Passat Celebrates 45th Birthday

While we may be panicked about a future overrun by SUVs, Volkswagen doesn't seem to be worried about the slow demise of the sedan. In fact, it wants to celebrate it.

The mid-size Passat celebrated its 45th anniversary this year after being introduced back in 1973. ThePassat also reached a major production milestonewith more than 29 million produced to date over eight generations.

This makes the Passat the second most successful VW model of all time ahead of the Beetle (21.5 million) and Golf (35 million). As VW attempts to push past the 30 million unit mark, thecurrent 8th generation Passat will soon be replacedby a new model, which will be more evolutionary than revolutionary.

As with the current model, the new Passat will be sold as a sedan and a wagon, though we doubt the wagon will be offered in the US. Along with a standard combustion engine, the Passat will also offer a plug-in hybrid drivetrain for the first time ever, enabling the car to run as an EV for a short distance.