April 18, 2016 – Ets. F.A. Kettaneh S.A., the official distributor of Volkswagen in Lebanon, today announced the arrival of the new 2016 Passat in its showrooms. The best-selling family sedan features a striking new design and is fully loaded with innovative technology features to offer enhanced value to customers.
Available at Volkswagen – Ets. F.A. Kettaneh showrooms in Dora and Verdun starting $29,900 excl. VAT, the Passat is offered in four configurations – S, SE, SEL and Sport – featuring a dynamic new style including a new hood, front fenders, grille, front and rear bumpers, trunk lid and LED headlights and taillights.
Mrs. Maya El Khoury, Commercial Director, Volkswagen Ets. F.A. Kettaneh, said, “The new Passat is the smart choice for an affordable mid-size sedan, with class leading space and innovative technology. Combining a bold new design and engaging technology, the Passat has been designed to feature the kind of dynamic handling that drivers have come to expect from a Volkswagen.”
The redesigned exterior offers slimmer headlights, a more substantial four-bar grille, and a muscular, domed hood, with all features blending harmoniously to give the Passat a wider, more planted stance at the front end. Additionally, a new chrome strip on the trunk ensures the rear lights appear lower, enhancing the grounded appearance, while chrome on the window surrounds, bumpers, and door trim complements the more premium nature of the design upgrade.
The 2016 Passat showcases an extensively upgraded interior for a more refined look and feel including a new steering wheel and two-tone décor panels, as well as refined chrome and piano black trim.
The Passat’s interior comes loaded with technology amenities; highlights include the second-generation in-car infotainment system, also known as MIB II by Volkswagen.
The system features touchscreens as standard equipment on all models. On most models, the display utilizes a capacitive touch sensor (similar to smartphone and tablet technology) enabling gesture controls like swiping and pinch-zooming rather than the resistive touchscreens that require pressure and have slightly longer response times. The infotainment units also feature a proximity sensor, which detects when a hand is nearby and automatically switches its display to allow easier selection of specific features. USB and Bluetooth® connectivity are standard on all 2016 Passat models.
Featuring the three major smartphone integration platforms—Apple CarPlay®, Android Auto™ and MirrorLink®, the in-car infotainment system allows seamless integration with the vast majority of smartphones available today.
Volkswagen also offers a combination of new safety and driver assistance systems in the 2016 Passat. The Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, standard on all 2016 Passat models, builds on the premise that a collision is rarely a single, instantaneous action, but rather a series of events that follow the initial impact— which can cause additional collisions. The system helps address this by applying the brakes after a primary collision is detected by the airbag sensors, thus helping to reduce residual kinetic energy and, in turn, reduce the chance of additional damage.
The top-line model Passat Sport, in addition to the features of the S, SE and SEL, boasts of 18“ “Chattanooga” alloy wheels, leather sport seats, navigation system “Discover Media“ including CD-player, SD-Card reader, AUX-IN, 2x USB interface and easy-open keyless access that opens the trunk via moving a foot near the rear of the vehicle. The model also allows electric seat adjustment 8-way for the driver.