Next-gen Passat to offer hybrid and twin-turbo power

VOLKSWAGEN is going even more upmarket with the all-new version of the Passat, which is due to hit showrooms later this year.

Soon buyers will be able to include a plug-in hybrid and an all-new 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel among their forecourt options, as VW goes chasing after its sister company Audi.

Weight-saving measures have chopped up to 85kg from the new kid on a like-for-like basis, which helps achieve VW's stated efficiency boosts of 20% versus equivalent outgoing Passats.

LED headlights will be available on some models, while the rear light clusters will switch over to a full-LED setup as standard.

The planned plug-in hybrid Passat will be able to travel around 31 miles on electric power alone, with a total range of 600 miles or so – but only with efficient driving.

These design sketches are all that Volkswagen is willing to release ahead of the model's digital début in July. A launch date is pencilled in for October, with UK sales starting before the end of the year.

Any Passat fans desperate to be the first to own one of the new breed will, however, have to wait until early 2015 for the first deliveries.

By Press Association reporter