VW to develop 5-Series/E-Class rival!

Come to think of it, Volkswagen, despite owning Audi, Bentley, and other luxury brands, still does not have a car with a VW logo that competes with the BMW 5-Series and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. However, it is planning to do just that if a report on AutoBild is to be believed.

VW-new-luxury-car

The German magazine reports that VW is thinking on developing a premium sedan which will be positioned in between the Passat and the Phaeton – that’s right in the A6/5-Series/E-Class territory.

The new VW will be based upon the Passat which is due in America in 2017, and would therefore have more of the Passat or Audi A6 than the Phaeton.  Parts-sharing will allow the company to keep costs under check, but the new car would not be just a grown-up Passat but will get a host of features that befits cars of such stature. Having access to Audi’s legendary Quattro technology might also allow Volkswagen the luxury of plonking in a great all-wheel drive setup as an option.

VW-new-luxury-car

The car is rumoured to be manufactured in North America, Mexico and China, and will have a range of petrol and diesel engines both in four- and six-cylinder formats. A hybrid powertrain in future could be possible too. Transmission duties will most probably be administered by a 7-speed DSG gearbox while the 10-speed DSG, which the company has recently come up with, might get used in this car someday! Oh yes, the car would come in estate guise too.

The company has also announced a new crossover concept for the US which will be showcased at the 2015 Detroit Motor Show. Can we expect the new premium sedan to borrow some design inspiration from the concept? That’s something only time would tell but as of now the report goes on to claim that the new saloon will cost less than 40,000 euros, with the base variant expected to begin at 37,500 euros (INR 28.56 lakh). Well, 2018 is far off anyway; a lot could change by then…

Related: VW India Head Quashes Sub-Polo Car Bluntly!

Leave a Comment