Is Audi A6 a VW Passat?

[CivicFan]

Is Audi A6 a VW Passat?

I always thought it was. I thought A4 was a Jetta. But by looking at the exterior dimensions, each model is different. A4 is bigger than Jetta but small than Passat and A6 is bigger than Passat.

That would mean that the Audis are not re-badged VolksWagens.

 

[JHZR2]

I think that they share platforms to some extent, which couples to which is something that Ill leave to the VW experts.

Shared platforms are the norm these days. Doesnt really mean much, IMO.

JMH

 

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: CivicFan
Is Audi A6 a VW Passat?

I always thought it was. I thought A4 was a Jetta. But by looking at the exterior dimensions, each model is different. A4 is bigger than Jetta but small than Passat and A6 is bigger than Passat.

That would mean that the Audis are not re-badged VolksWagens.


The Audi A4 and VW Passat once shared the same platform (B5). Not sure about the current A4 (B8) and Passat. The Audi A3 and the VW Golf and Vento (Jetta) share the same Platform.

Audi and VW only share some platforms and some parts and engines. Audis are assembled in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, VWs are built in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony. At least some Audi engines are built in the Audi engine factory in Győr, Hungary.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_B_platform

 

[Audi Junkie]

The Passat you are thinking of is a B5.5 Platform, same as the A4 B5 except strecthed and some other refinements. A6 is it's own platform, sharing some componets, like suspension and engine. Jetta has a transverse engine, Audi shares that set-up in the TT and A3. The current Passat is it's own D-series platform.

 

[moribundman]

The point being, some platforms and components are shared, but that's it. No badge-engineering is going on. VW and Audi are distinctly different and attract different customers.

The main Audi design center is in Munich, Germany, while a second Audi design center, which they share with VW, is located in Santa Monica, CA. VW has their main design studio in Braunschweig, Germany.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: moribundman
VWs are built in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony.


Arent most US market VW vehicles built in Mexico?

IIRC the last gen passat wqas built in Germany, but I am unsure of this iteration. Jettas (except maybe the wagons) are built in Mexico, as are golf, GTI, Beetle, etc.

Or is this not the case?


If Im lucky, the jetta wagon with a diesel and MT will actually be available as a configuration, and the wagon will still be made in Germany...

JMH

 

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: moribundman
VWs are built in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony.


Arent most US market VW vehicles built in Mexico?


I'd never buy one of those. Ever see how half of them have the VW logo crooked on the trunk lid from the factory? Apparently they all suck.

The Golf GTI used to be built exclusively in Germany. I don't know and don't care if this is still the case. My Audi was slapped together in Germany.

Quote:
If Im lucky, the jetta wagon with a diesel and MT will actually be available as a configuration, and the wagon will still be made in Germany...


You'll be putting up with "screwey [sic] oil specs"?

 

[biomed_eng_2000]

In the car world "sharing platforms" is a very vague term.

It's like saying that Hulk Hogan and Albert Einstein share the same "human platform" while a Poodle and PitBull share the same "kanine platform".

This is a quote regarding platforms from Simon Lamarre, Studio Chief Designer for Volvo Cars:
"People talk a lot about platforms without really understanding what they are actually talking about. Thats why we stopped talking about platforms and shifted over to shared technologies. The C30 is built on the P1C1 architecture (not platform).
This means that a palette of technologies was developped jointly between Ford, Mazda and Volvo to accomodate the different needs and characteristics that are important to each brand. That of course means that some components will be identical between the different cars. But each system is tuned and tweaked to fullfill the very rigid and different requirements from the brands. So you have a palette of "carry over", "modified" and "totally unique" details that together build the different systems in your car.

In that sense, to use this mislead reasoning that I so often hear, you could say that Fords are rebadged Volvos!

I hope this clarifies things somewhat!

BR// Simon"

 

[qezel]

every mk5 rabbit ive seen, including my moms '06 and my friends '08 are built in germany, while it seems the jettas, or some are mexican.. befoer that "wolfsburg editions" were german cars, again.. or so i'm told..

the audi 80/90/4000/A4's are the cars that "are" passats.. but only b1, b2, and b5 based cars share platforms.

even if they share platforms, they are hugely different. my audis were built in ingolstadt, while a quantum with basically the same drivetrain and chassis was built in wolfsburg and the quantums rust more and arent as well put together.. i'm not knocking vw, its just fact, they wanted the audis to be more upscale and elite

 

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: biomed_eng_2000
I hope this clarifies things somewhat!


Rhetoric always clears up specifics.

In case of my A4 (B5), it shares about 40% of its parts with the Passat (B5).

 

[BGK]

Most previous generation Jetta's came from Mexico. All of the wagons of that generation came from Germany. When I worked at a VW dealer, I thought there wasn't any real difference between them. One day we had a used Jetta wagon for sale. After I drove it (and sold it) I could see the difference in the solidity of the car and the quality of the seats over the cars made in Mexico. Rule of thumb; if you buy a last generation Jetta, buy a wagon!

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: moribundman
Not sure about the current A4 (B8) and Passat.

Most likely different platforms since the Passat now has a transversely mounted engine, while the A4 still has it longitudinally.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: moribundman
VWs are built in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony.


Arent most US market VW vehicles built in Mexico?

IIRC the last gen passat wqas built in Germany, but I am unsure of this iteration.

Current Passat sold in the US is still made in Germany. So is GTI and Touareg.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: moribundman

You'll be putting up with "screwey [sic] oil specs"?

Im not too worried, I can get the good stuff

Just another option... currently considering the jetta diesel wagon, the BMW 3-series wagon (MT diesel if it comes along), and the subaru legacy wagon.

Of course if the diesel MT ever comes along, its economy will likely cause it to take the cake. 40/60 was the first estimate, IIRC.

JMH

 

[Audi Junkie]

Imo, when 2 cars share suspensions and engines on the same floorpan, I don't care so much that the B5.5 Passat has 1500 "improvments" over the B5 A4, it's the same car.

 

[Tornado Red]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: moribundman
VWs are built in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony.


Arent most US market VW vehicles built in Mexico?

All Jettas are built in Mexico, even the ones sold in Europe and elsewhere. Same with all New Beetles. There are no other assembly plants for those models, anywhere else in the world. When the Jetta Sportwagon finally arrives, it will be "Hecho en Mexico."

The Passat, Rabbit, GTI, Touareg, all are built in Europe. The Tiguan will also come from there. VW is prepared to announce a new plant will be built in North Carolina, with an annual production of at least 250k vehicles.

Many engines and transmissions come from third countries, including Japan.