FAW-Volkswagen to Build Passat CC in 2010
The new car will become the top-ranking model in the venture's product portfolio. It just made its global debut at the Detroit show in January 2008, and is scheduled to become available in Europe in the second quarter of 2008 and in North America in the fourth quarter of this year.
The model has come out on the Volkswagen PQ46 platform, just like Magaton, another China-made model. It is the first four-door coupe product under the brand of Volkswagen.
It combines the design of coupe and the comfort of car, and that is why it has been named as CC (Coupe + Car), citing information on the Volkswagen website.
It has a body measuring 4,796mm in length, 31mm longer than ordinary Passat B6, 1,856mm in width, 36mm wider, and 1,422mm in height, 50mm lower.
In North America, the model will be equipped with 2.0 TSI engine, whose horsepower maximum stands at 200hp, or 3.6L FSI engine, whose horsepower maximum stands at 280hp.
In Europe, it will be installed with DSG (direct-shift gearbox), the world's first dual-clutch automated manual gearbox.
Its price has not been known yet since the model has not hit the overseas markets. It is expected to be higher than that of ordinary Passat B6 in terms of configurement, said analysts.
Once FAW-Volkswagen, based in the northeastern province of Jilin, kicks off the production of Passat CC, the brand recognition and volume of Magaton will be driven up greatly.
In addition, Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd., the other Volkswagen venture in China, will likely make Tiguan, the latest SUV model under the Volkswagen brand, and Skoda Super.
In recent years, Volkswagen has made much progress in localization in China, the world's second largest auto market. Earlier this month, it has started the construction of a gearbox factory in Dalian, a port city in the northeastern province of Liaoning.
The project, with a total investment of EUR 200 million to EUR 300 million, will have a designed production capacity of 300,000 DSG gearboxes a year.
Such gearboxes will be installed on models by FAW- Volkswagen and Shanghai Volkswagen, such as Magotan, a medium- and high-grade sedan model, and Tiguan.
The factory is expected to be put into production in 2009. It will face the engine plant in the city jointly set up by the German titan and its partner China FAW Group Corp.
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