Volkswagen Passat B3
# Volkswagen Passat B3

The third-generation Volkswagen Passat, known as Volkswagen Passat B3 or Volkswagen Passat 35i, was introduced in March 1988 in Europe, 1989 in North America, and 1995 in South America; it was also briefly available in Australia in 1991, when a total of 14 Passat GL 16V in sedan and wagon versions were sold by then importer TKM. Unlike the previous two generations of the Passat, the B3 was not available as a fastback - only 4-door sedan and 5-door station wagon versions were available, setting the precedent for the model for all subsequent generations to date. Its curvy looks were a contrast from the boxy appearance of its predecessor and owed much to the "jelly mould" style pioneered by Ford with the Sierra and Taurus. The lack of a grille, utilizing the bottom breather approach, made the car's front end styling reminiscent of older, rear-engined Volkswagens such as the 411, and also doubled as a modern styling trend. The styling was developed from the 1981 aerodynamic $(c_d$ = 0.25) Auto 2000 concept car.

At the time it was the first Passat to be built on a Volkswagen-designed platform, rather than sharing one with an Audi saloon. The Passat B3 was designed by Volkswagen's design chief, Herbert Schäfer and, unlike equivalent Audi models, now featured a space-saving transversely mounted engine (a configuration from which future Passat models would retreat in 1996). A couple of weeks ahead of launch, press reports appeared that the forthcoming new Passat was known within the company as the first "true Hahn model" ("erster echter Hahn"), even though Carl Hahn junior had by this time already been the Volkswagen Group's chairman since 1982. The message, reflecting management priorities at the time, was that whereas recent new models from Volkswagen had unapologetically appeared to be rebadged and mildly rebodied Audis, with this model Volkswagen under Hahn now had the confidence to reassert a more distinctive identity for its cars, differentiating the Audi and Volkswagen brands more persuasively from one another in the process.

The car, although designated B3 in Volkswagen's platform nomenclature, was based largely on the A platform as used for the smaller Golf Mk2 model, but was stretched in all directions. Many components are shared directly between these vehicles. It was marketed under the Passat name in all markets; in North America, this was a first.

The fuel injected petrol engines gave better performance and refinement than the previously used carbureted units. They were mounted transversely, and the floorpan was engineered to accept Volkswagen's "Syncro" four-wheel drive system. Engine options were the 2.0-litre 16-valve engine (for North America only in the GL model), 1.8-litre eight-valve and 16-valve engines (not available in North America; all CLs, GLs, and GLSs had the 2.0 16v), Volkswagen's new 2.8-litre VR6 engine (also used in the Golf and Corrado) in the GL/GT (Europe) and GLX/GLS (North America) models (introduced in 1991 in Europe and 1992 in North America), and the G60 engine (only available on the Syncro model in Canada for the North American market). The VR6 engine gave the top-of-the-range Passat a top speed of 224 km/h (139 mph). The 1.6-litre (not available in North America) and 1.9-litre (available only in Canada and Europe) diesel engines were also available as an option.

As somewhat rare features for the time, the B3 Passat was optionally offered with rear self-levelling air suspension, and electronically regulated air conditioning (called "Climatronic"). These two options were available only in Europe.

## Technical Data

| Model | Production period | Engine Type | Valve control | Fuel mixture formation | Forced Induction | Engine Code | Displacement. Bore x Stroke | C.R. | max. Power | max. Torque | Drive | Gearbox | Top Speed | 0-100kph |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1.6 | 02/1988–07/1989 | Inline-4, Petrol, Water-Cooled | SOHC, 2 valves per cylinder Toothed-Belt, Bucket-tappets. | Carburetor | - | RF | 1595 cm³, 81.0 × 77.4 mm | 9.0 :1 | 53 kW (72 PS) @5200/min | 120 Nm@ 2700/min | FWD | 4M, 5M | 161–169 km/h | 16.3–16.6 s |
| 1.6 | 02/1988–07/1990 | Inline-4, Petrol, Water-Cooled | SOHC, 2 valves per cylinder Toothed-Belt, Bucket-tappets. | Mono-Jetronic | - | 1F | 1595 cm³, 81.0 × 77.4 mm | 9.0 :1 | 53 kW (72 PS) @5200/min | 125 Nm@ 2750/min | FWD | 4M, 5M | 161–169 km/h | 16.3–16.6 s |
| 1.6 | 02/1988–09/1993 | Inline-4, Petrol, Water-Cooled | SOHC, 2 valves per cylinder Toothed-Belt, Bucket-tappets. | Carburetor | - | EZ, ABN | 1595 cm³, 81.0 × 77.4 mm | 9.0 :1 | 55 kW (75 PS) @ 5200/min | 125 Nm@ 2600/min | FWD | 4M, 5M | 165–171 km/h | 15.7–16.0 s |
| 1.8 | 08/1990–09/1993 | Inline-4, Petrol, Water-Cooled | SOHC, 2 valves per cylinder Toothed-Belt, Bucket-tappets. | Mono-Motronic | - | AAM | 1781 cm³, 81.0 × 86.4 mm | 9.0:1 | 55 kW (75 PS) @5000/min | 140 Nm@2500/min | FWD | 5M | 165–171 km/h | 15.5–15.8 s |
| 1.8 | 02/1988–06/1990 | Inline-4, Petrol, Water-Cooled | SOHC, 2 valves per cylinder Toothed-Belt, Bucket-tappets. | Mono-Jetronic | - | RP | 1781 cm³, 81.0 × 86.4 mm | 9.0:1 | 66 kW (90 PS) @ 5250/min | 142 Nm@ 3000/min | FWD | 5M, 4A | 170–177 km/h | 13.9–14.2 s |
| 1.8 | 07/1990–07/1991 | Inline-4, Petrol, Water-Cooled | SOHC, 2 valves per cylinder Toothed-Belt, Bucket-tappets. | Mono-Motronic | - | RP | 1781 cm³, 81.0 × 86.4 mm | 9.0:1 | 66 kW (90 PS) @ 5400/min | 142 Nm@ 2600/min | FWD | 5M, 4A | 170–177 km/h | 13.9–14.2 s |
| 1.8 | 08/1991–09/1993 | Inline-4, Petrol, Water-Cooled | SOHC, 2 valves per cylinder Toothed-Belt, Bucket-tappets. | Mono-Motronic | - | ABS | 1781 cm³, 81.0 × 86.4 mm | 10.0 : 1 | 66 kW (90 PS) @ 5500/min | 145 Nm@ 2500/min | FWD | 5M, 4A | 170–177 km/h | 13.9–16.4 s |
| 1.8 | 02/1988–07/1990 | Inline-4, Petrol, Water-Cooled | SOHC, 2 valves per cylinder Toothed-Belt, Bucket-tappets. | Digifant | - | PF | 1781 cm³, 81.0 × 86.4 mm | 10.0 : 1 | 79 kW (107 PS) @ 5400/min | 154 Nm@ 3800/min | FWD | 5M, 4A | 184–190 km/h | 12.3–13.4 s |
| 1.8 | 02/1988–07/1990 | Inline-4, Petrol, Water-Cooled | SOHC, 2 valves per cylinder Toothed-Belt, Bucket-tappets. | | - | PB | 1781 cm³, 81.0 × 86.4 mm | 10.0 : 1 | 82 kW (112 PS) @ 5400/min | 159 Nm@ 4000/min | FWD | 5M, 4A | 188–192 km/h | 11.8–12.9 s |
| 1.8 16v | 07/1988–09/1993 | Inline-4, Petrol, Water-Cooled | DOHC, timing belt, 4 valves per cylinder | K-Jetronic | - | KR | 1781 cm³, 81.0 × 86.4 mm | 10.0 : 1 | 100 kW(136 PS)@ 6300/min | 162 Nm@ 4800/min | FWD | 5M | 199–206 km/h | 10.4–10.6 s |
| 2.0 | 10/1989–09/1993 | Inline-4, Petrol, Water-Cooled | SOHC, 2 valves per cylinder Toothed-Belt, Bucket-tappets. | Digifant | - | 2E | 1984 cm³, 82.5 × 92.8 mm | 10.0 : 1 | 85 kW(115 PS)@ 5400/min | 166 Nm@ 3200/min | FWD, AWD | 5M, 4A | 185–195 km/h | 11.3–12.9 s |
| 2.0 16v | 07/1988–09/1993 | Inline-4, Petrol, Water-Cooled | DOHC, timing belt, 4 valves per cylinder | KE-Motronic | - | 9A | 1984 cm³, 82.5 × 92.8 mm | 10.8 : 1 | 100 kW(136 PS)@ 5800/min | 180 Nm@ 4400/min | FWD | 5M, 4A | 197–206 km/h | 10.2–11.0 s |
| 1.8 G60 | 09/1989–09/1993 | Inline-4, Petrol, Water-Cooled | SOHC, toothed-belt, 2 valves per cylinder | Digifant | G-lader supercharger | PG | 1781 cm³, 81.0 × 86.4 mm | 8:0 : 1 | 118 kW(160 PS)@5600/min | 225 Nm@ 3800/min | AWD | 5M | 210–215 km/h | 9.6–9.8 s |
| 2.8 VR6 | 04/1991–09/1993 | VR6, Petrol, Water-Cooled | Twin OHC, timing chain, 2 valves per cylinder | Motronic | - | AAA | 2792 cm³, 81.0 × 90.3 mm | 10.0 : 1 | 128 kW(174 PS)@ 5800/min | 235 Nm@ 4200/min | FWD | 5M, 4A | 214–220 km/h | 8.2–8.3 s |
| 1.6 TD | 08/1988–07/1989 | Inline-4, Diesel, Water-Cooled | SOHC, toothed-belt, 2 valves per cylinder | Swirl chamber injection | Garrett turbocharger, intercooled | RA | 1588 cm³, 76.5 × 86.4 mm | 23.0 : 1 | 59 kW(80 PS)@ 4500/min | 155 Nm@ 2500–3000/min | FWD | 5M | 164–170 km/h | 16.0–16.2 s |
| 1.6 TD | 08/1989–09/1993 | Inline-4, Diesel, Water-Cooled | SOHC, toothed-belt, 2 valves per cylinder | Swirl chamber injection | Garrett turbocharger, intercooled | SB | 1588 cm³, 76.5 × 86.4 mm | 23.0 : 1 | 59 kW(80 PS)@ 4500/min | 152 Nm@ 2300–2800/min | FWD | 5M | 164–170 km/h | 16.0–16.2 s |
| 1.9 D | 05/1989–09/1993 | Inline-4, Diesel, Water-Cooled | SOHC, toothed-belt, 2 valves per cylinder | Swirl chamber injection | - | 1Y | 1896 cm³, 79.5 × 95.5 mm | 23.0 : 1 | 50 kW(68 PS)@ 4400/min | 127 Nm@ 2200–2600/min | FWD | 5M | 155–160 km/h | 19.0–19.4 s |
| 1.9 TD | 04/1991–09/1993 | Inline-4, Diesel, Water-Cooled | SOHC, toothed-belt, 2 valves per cylinder | Swirl chamber injection | Garrett turbocharger | AAZ | 1896 cm³, 79.5 × 95.5 mm | 22.5 : 1 | 55 kW(75 PS)@ 4400/min | 140 Nm@ 2200–2800/min | FWD | 5M | 160–165 km/h | 17.7–18.0 s |
| 1 2 3 4 No Catalytic Converter1 2 For the Syncro(AWD) with right-hand drive: 82 kW (112 hp), 162 Nm↑ When using Super Plus 98 RON fuel: 240 Nm |||||||||||||||
