by Brian Byrne. The new VW Passat has given Volkswagen cost savings of some 10 percent because they based the car on the Golf architecture rather than that of the Audi A6, as it was with the old generation.
Using the transverse engine layout of the Golf PQ35 architecture also meant the Passat could more easily meet new EU regulations on pedestrian safety at the front end.
The Golf and the Passat now share about 50 percent of value, inlcuding the powertrain, front suspension, steering column, fuel tank and seat structures.
The shift in platform means that the new Passat is designed to be more profitable for VW in a segment that has shrunk in market share across Europe by four percent since 1999.
This hasn't been a major problem for the nameplate, which even in its runout year in 2004 led segment sales in Europe even with a drop of units moved by a fifth on 2003.
