Respectively the six and seventh generation Passat, and internally designated B6 and B7, they were marketed in sedan and wagon bodystyles in front-wheel as well as all-wheel drive configurations, with a range of petrol and diesel engines.
The transverse-engine layout of the four-wheel drive version, marketed as 4Motion, dictated a switch from the Torsen centre differential of the B5, to the Haldex Traction multi-plate clutch.
Haldex is a reactive-type system, behaving as a front-wheel-drive vehicle until slippage is detected, at which point up to a maximum of 50% of the torque can be transmitted to the rear axle.
The B6 debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2005, and launched in Europe in the summer of 2005, using a long-wheelbase version of the fifth-generation Golf and Jetta, along with a transverse engine layout.
B6 Passats were marketed globally, and superseded in North America by a model exclusively manufactured at Volkswagen's Chattanooga Assembly Plant.
VW debuted the B7 facelift at the Paris Motor Show in September 2010 and continued to market B7 models globally outside North America.
[6] The R36 uses a 3.6 litre VR6 engine rated 221 kW; 296 bhp (300 PS) and 350 N⋅m (258 lbf⋅ft) of torque, which pushes the saloon and Variant (estate/wagon) to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 5.6 and 5.8 seconds respectively.
[8] Some options specific to the CC include hands-free parking, lane-departure prevention, intelligent cruise control, and adaptive suspension.
[10] The B6 Passat was facelifted by Klaus Bischoff and Walter de Silva,[citation needed] and was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in September 2010 and arrived at European dealerships in December 2010.
[12] In October 2010, the Passat Alltrack debuted at the 2010 Tokyo Motor Show, bridges the gap between Volkswagen passenger car and SUV ranges.
The TDI models come standard with BlueMotion Technology packages with Stop/Start system and battery regeneration mode for recovering braking energy.
The two lesser powered engine variants 2.0 L TDI and 1.8 L TSI are only available in front wheel drive format with a manual 6 speed transmission.
The first locally assembled VW model to be rolled out from DRB-Hicom's Pekan plant in Pahang state, Malaysia, was the Volkswagen Passat in 2012.
[16] Fuel Stratified Injection is used in nearly every petrol engined version of the Passat, ranging from 1.6 to 3.6 litres (the 1.6-litre DOHC can reach 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 11.5 seconds, and 200 km/h (124.3 mph) for manual transmission versions), and the multi-valve 2.0-litre Turbocharged Direct Injection (TDI) I4 diesel is available in both 140 PS (103 kW; 138 hp) and 170 PS (125 kW; 168 hp) variants.
[23] The Passat Estate won the overall winner of Practical Caravans Towcar of the Year Awards 2008 for its array of towing features such as its Trailer Stability Programme.