FRANKFURT — The great migration from cars to light trucks is claiming another casualty. Volkswagen will drop the Passat sedan in the U.S. and Europe as the automaker prioritizes electric and utility vehicles, company sources familiar with the plans said.
In Europe, VW will keep only the Passat station wagon when a new generation of the midsize car arrives toward the end of 2023, sources told Automotive News Europe. The wagon will continue in markets such as Germany, where the body style is popular.
U.S. sales of the Passat increased 25 percent during the first three quarters, according to VW of America data, but were low at just 16,190 units.
While it never seriously challenged the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, U.S. sales of the Passat did reach just over 100,000 as recently as 2012 and 2013.
The Passat is Europe’s No. 1-selling midsize model, with a volume of 88,478 through October, according to JATO Dynamics.
