Volkswagen Delivers All-New 2012 Passat to First U.S. Customer

HERNDON, Va., Sept. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Volkswagen of America, Inc. today delivered the first, customer-purchased 2012 Passat TDI® Clean Diesel to Matt Duchesne of San Jose, CA. The 2012 Passat met its first owner after months of anticipation, beginning with the widely popular "The Force" ad that aired earlier this year and culminating today with this special delivery.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110912/LA66657)  

Designed specifically for the North American market, the 2012 Passat is the only midsize sedan that offers German engineering at an accessible price. Duchesne's 2012 Passat was built at the all-new Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, TN, one of the newest, most advanced, and environmentally responsible auto assembly plants in the world.

The 2012 Passat provides a long list of premium features uniquely offered in the U.S., while maintaining the dynamic character expected of a Volkswagen.

"We are very excited to share this seminal moment for Volkswagen in America with Mr. Duchesne. It is the fulfillment of our promise to the U.S. market that we can deliver a German-engineered car with American sensibilities at an affordable price," said Marc Trahan, Executive Vice President of Group Quality at Volkswagen of America. "This 2012 Passat comes equipped with our TDI Clean Diesel engine of which we're so proud."

In honor of the first 2012 Passat delivery, Volkswagen will send Mr. Duchesne and a guest to Chattanooga, Tennessee for a VIP tour of the all-new facility that is the birthplace of not only his new car but every all-new Passat sold in America. The plant visit, scheduled for early November, is part of a celebration for the Chattanooga plant, which rolled out its 10,000th all-new Passat last Thursday, September 8th.

After the tour, Mr. Duchesne won't head home with an empty trunk. Volkswagen is giving him a fully stocked gift bag of VW gear and Shell will also be providing the lucky recipient $500 in Shell Gift Cards to fill up with high quality Shell diesel and enhance his 2012 Passat TDI Clean Diesel journey. For more than 100 years, Shell has been providing motorists with quality fuels to meet the needs of their vehicles.

With three models to choose from, Duchesne ordered the all-new 2012 Passat TDI SEL model. The 2012 Passat TDI is the only clean diesel option in the segment, delivering an estimated 43 miles per gallon on the highway with the manual transmission, and a range of almost 800 miles. After adding best-in-class rear seat legroom and the new Fender® Premium Audio System, it is easy to see why the 2012 Passat TDI Clean Diesel has raised the bar in the midsize sedan segment.

The all-new Passat has further proven Volkswagen's commitment to safety by earning the coveted Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS) TOP SAFETY PICK rating for 2011, the highest possible rating from the non-profit safety research organization. The 2012 Passat is the eighth Volkswagen model to receive a 2011 IIHS Top Safety Pick, making Volkswagen one of the recognized safety leaders in the industry.

Volkswagen of America, Inc.

Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world's largest producers of passenger cars and Europe's largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Eos, Golf, GTI, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, CC, Tiguan, Touareg and Routan through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. All 2011 Volkswagen vehicles come standard-equipped with Electronic Stability Control (ESC). This is important because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has called ESC the most effective new vehicle safety technology since the safety belt. Visit Volkswagen of America online at www.vw.com or www.media.vw.com to learn more.

Notes:

This press release and images of the new Passat are available at media.vw.com.

"TDI", "VW", "Volkswagen", all model names and the Volkswagen logo are registered trademarks of Volkswagen AG. "Fender" is a registered trademark of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.

Features and technical data apply to models offered in the USA. They may differ in other countries.

Where stated, fuel economy values (mpg) are EPA estimates.

Rear legroom claim based on a comparison of manufacturers' published data.

SOURCE Volkswagen of America, Inc.