The Volkswagen Passat is a large family car marketed by Volkswagen through six design generations since 1973. Between the Volkswagen Golf / Volkswagen Jetta and the Volkswagen Phaeton in the current Volkswagen line-up, the Passat and its derivatives have been badged variously as Dasher, Santana, Quantum, Magotan, Corsar and Carat. The successive generations of the Passat carry the VW internal designations B1, B2, etc.
In 2008, Volkswagen extended its range with the launch of the Passat CC, a "four-door coupé" version of the Passat.
Volkswagen currently markets two variants of the Passat globally. In January 2011, Volkswagen announced that the new mid-size sedan (NMS) being built at the Volkswagen Chattanooga Assembly Plant for the North American market would be named the Passat. Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive also manufactures the Passat NMS in its Nanjing factory. The NMS is not going to be sold outside the North American, South Korean, and Chinese Markets. A different B7 Passat model is sold outside of these markets. The Volkswagen Passat NMS won the 2012 Motor Trend Car of the Year.
Read more about Volkswagen Passat: History, B1 (Typ 32, 1973–1981), B2 (Typ 32B, 1981–1988), B3 and B4 (Typ 35i, 1988–1996), B5 and B5.5 (Typ 3B/3BG, 1996–2005), B6 and B7 (Typ 3C, 2005–2011), Passat (North American, South Korean and Chinese Markets) (2011–present), Middle East Market (2013 Models)