- The updated 2020 Volkswagen Passat is significantly cheaper than the 2019 model, starting at $23,915 for the base S model.
- That’s a $2275 drop in base price, and the R-Line trim level also goes down $1325.
- Volkswagen says the 2020 Passat will be on sale at dealers by the end of the year.
Despite many updates for 2020, the Volkswagen Passat is getting a fairly significant price cut compared to the 2019 model. It now starts at $23,915, a $2275 drop in base price. S, SE, R-Line, and SEL models are also available, which means the 2020 lineup doesn’t correspond exactly to the 2019 trim levels, which included only Wolfsburg and SE R-Line.
This means that the 2020 Passat’s base trim level, the S, doesn’t come with quite as many standard features as the 2019 Passat Wolfsburg. It does without that trim’s heated front seats, faux-leather upholstery, and keyless entry and pushbutton start but does still include standard features including forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, and a 6.3-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The $26,765 SE adds the Wolfsburg’s features back in and also gets automatic climate control, rain-sensing wipers, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keep assist.
Volkswagen
The $29,565 R-Line is now a standalone trim level costing $1325 less than the 2019 SE R-Line, and it adds a few bits of “sporty” trim, 19-inch wheels, a sunroof, ambient lighting, and an alarm system. The top 2020 Passat SEL starts at $32,015 and includes extras such as leather upholstery, heated rear seats, a Fender audio system, a power passenger’s seat, and a park-assist system.
All 2020 Passat models come with the same 174-hp turbocharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine and six-speed automatic as last year, but with a higher torque output of 206 lb-ft. It will reach dealerships by the end of the year.