Classic Passat evolves, continues the legend

True its name, which means trade winds in German, the VW Passat has had a long voyage since it was introduced in China 10 years ago.

More than 800,000 cars bearing the imprint have been sold over the past decade in the world's most populous nation.

The German carmaker unveiled its first front-wheel-drive Passat in 1973. The brand has been so popular that it is still selling well 36 years and six model generations later.

The Passat family history is one of inheritance, change, brand renovation and continued innovation in design, technology and configuration in tune with consumer needs.

Famed for state-of-the-art technologies and high performance, the sedan won a worldwide reputation after its first four generations gained renown in Germany. The Passat II station wagon is now considered a classic auto in Germany and widely popular across the globe.

The fifth-generation Passat from Shanghai Volkswagen (SVW) is now a sales leader in China's B-class car market along with the venerable Santana, another model from the joint venture.

To cater to Chinese consumers, Volkswagen launched a new version of the Passat in 2005 - the Passat Lingyu, which has a more fashionable design and refined equipment, as well as a longer wheelbase that provides a roomier interior with more leg room.

Now the Passat evolved yet again into the New Lingyu, an upgraded model jointly designed by Volkswagen teams in China and Germany.

Its upper grid plate was inspired by a traditional window frame pattern. It runs across the car's front to connect with high-intensity xenon headlights.

Tailor-made for the Chinese market, the model has an impressive appearance, a delicate brand image and the styling of youth and dynamism, making it especially appealing to its target consumer group - those who have achieved career success, value family life and respect traditional Chinese values, yet are ready to seek and create new opportunities.

The new flagship model has further invigorated the Passat name and helped boost sales to nearly 27,000 vehicles in the second quarter of this year, up 14.9 percent over the same period of 2008. Almost 10,000 Passats were sold in June alone.

As the Passat passed through three stages in the Chinese auto market - from Passat to Lingyu to today's New Lingyu - its image grew and added new elements to meet changing times.

Unremitting quality

Yet despite its changing designs and improved technologies, the Passat has remained "unchanged" in one way - continuing high quality.

Premium quality and excellent services were inherited, then promoted as a core component of the Passat since it was first introduced to China in 1999.

SVW has invested heavily in the right materials and top workmanship for the Passat lineup.

In the process of Passat's localization, SVW paved the way for a beneficial combination of German technology with independent Chinese research and development.

In the increasingly competitive auto market, carmakers often extend the lifecycle and improve the value of established classic brands rather than launching entirely new brands or models, which is usually requires huge investment and effort to gain market acceptance, industrial insiders said.

Another example is the Porsche 911 GT3. While customers might admire its exciting technology and performance, what they value more is the brand inheritance, part a continuation of the 911 sports model whose lineage stretches back to 1964.

As part of the VW family that are known for superior performance and top workmanship, successive Passat models have continued customer-oriented principles, further enhanced today by SVW's pursuit self-developed quality and innovation.

(China Daily 08/10/2009 page6)