Ever Had One of Those Days When Everything Goes Wrong?

We certainly all know about having "a case of the Mondays", the "Monday blues" or as Prince wrote and The Bangles [sic…] vocalized, a "Manic Monday", but for this poor Swedish driver of an older Volkswagen Passat estate, Tuesday was just not his day.

Filmed here from a security camera at a gas station in the Swedish city of Falun, the man had connected the fuel pump to his car, and while he was waiting, he decides to check the fluid levels under the hood and use the water gun to fill up the washer.

From there on, it all goes…down the hill. Check out what happened in the video that follows the break.

VIDEO

VW Prices Base Passat with New 1.8-liter Turbo from $20,895, Same as Outgoing 2.5L

For a company that prides itself for bringing turbocharged gasoline engines to the masses and mainstream family cars before the end of the previous century, it has taken Volkswagen a very long time to do the same with its entire portfolio of models here in the States.

On Friday, and following the recent launch of the new 2.5-liter inline-five-replacing EA888 1.8-liter turbocharged and direct-injection TSI on the Jetta and Passat 1.8T SEL Premium, VW released pricing for the remainder of the Passat lineup.

The base version of the Passat, the "S", is now fitted with the 170 horsepower (same output as the 2.5-liter unit) 1.8 TSI with pricing set at $20,895,when equipped with a five-speed manual transmission, which is the same as the outgoing 2.5L model.

The Passat Wolfsburg Edition costs $23,965 with a standard six-speed auto ($500 more than the 2.5L), the SE starts at $24,475 (+$530) with the five-speed manual, while the SE with Sunroof costs $26,395 (+$550)and the SE with Sunroof and Navigation has a base price of $27,555 (+$560).

Volkswagen’s standard destination charge for the Passat is $820, which is not included in the aforementioned prices.

As you can see for yourself, the cheeky VW staff kept the base model's price, which is the one advertised everywhere, intact, while adding $500 or more on each other trim model over the respective 2.5L version…

The new 1.8L turbo is said to offer better performance (0-60mph in 7.5 seconds or 0.7 seconds faster than the 2.5L with a manual, and 7.9 seconds for the auto, down from 8.7 seconds with the 2.5L engine), as well as improved fuel efficiency (34mpg highway and 24mpg city, up from 31mpg and 22mpg respectively for the 2.5L).

PHOTO GALLERY

You Cant's Tell, But this VW Passat CC has 495-Horses Running Under its Hood

The most powerful production version of the Passat CC or its facelift iteration (renamed to CC) that is offered by Volkswagen, is the V6 model motivated by a 3.6-liter unit rated at 280hp in North America and 295hp (300PS) in Europe.
If you want more oomph, the only option you have is to check out at what the aftermarket industry has to offer.
One of the tuners that has come up with a power package for the Passat CC and specifically, for the range-topping VR6 4Motion (all-wheel drive) model, is Germany's MR Car Design.

C&D Puts the VW Passat Against Newcomers Ford Fusion, Honda Accord and Nissan Altima

It's the most popular passenger car segment in the U.S.A. with well over 1 million annual sales and four representatives in 2011's list of the 10 bestselling models overall, including the Toyota Camry that finished 3rd behind the Ford F-Series and Chevy Silverado trucks, followed by the Nissan Altima (4th overall), Ford Fusion (6th) and Honda Accord (9th).
We are talking of course about the mid-size category, which is the subject of Car & Driver's (C&D) magazine latest comparison test.
The publication took its previous winner, the North American market VW Passat (not to be confused with the Passat sold in other regions) that beat the Toyota Camry and Hyundai Sonata, and compared it against three newcomers, the 2013 versions of the Ford Fusion (to be sold in Europe as the new Mondeo), Honda Accord and Nissan Altima.

Frankfurt Rumors Fuel Design of 2012 Volkswagen CrossPassat

Recent rumors have suggested that Volkswagen may introduce a high-riding, faux-crossover Variant of its latest generation of the European market Passat, as early as at the forthcoming 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.
And while we can’t confirm the rumormill, what we can do is show you a very well executed rendering of the VW Cross Passat made by a talented reader of Autoblog.nl.

There you HAVEit: VW Renders Drivers (almost) Obsolete

We’ve seen them in science-fiction films: cars that drive themselves. And, as car enthusiasts, we hoped that this invention will never be realized, or at least not in our lifespan. But is seems like Volkswagen and the EU have other plans.
At the final presentation for the HAVEit (Highly Automated Vehicle for Intelligent Transport) project in the Swedish city of Boras, the German car company presented the “Temporary Auto Pilot”, or TAP, a system that allows the car to semi-automatically drive itself up to speeds of 130 km/h (80 mph) on motorways, with the driver simply monitoring the vehicle.

Volkswagen Announces Super Efficient 68.9mpg Passat BlueMotion for the UK

Revealed at the Geneva Motor Show this past March, the new generation of Volkswagen’s fuel-efficient Passat BlueMotion is available to order now in the United Kingdom, with first examples scheduled to hit showrooms towards the end of July. The BlueMotion version of the seventh-generation Passat (not to be confused with the US model), itself launched in Europe in January, is offered in both sedan and Estate formats with prices starting at £19,875 and £21,180 respectively.

Volkswagen Studying Tiguan SUV Production in North America to Lower Costs

Citing inside management sources from Volkswagen, a news report from German weekly business magazine WirtschaftsWoche said the German automaker wants to produce its Tiguan compact SUV in North America in order to reduce costs and protect itself against fluctuation of exchange rates. Officially, Volkswagen declined to comment on the magazine report.

VW Prices the Passat from $20,675 in the U.S.

Volkswagen has announced pricing for the all-new 2012 Passat, the firm’s midsize sedan design to meet the needs of U.S. consumers. The four-door saloon will have a starting MSRP of $19,995 (€14,110), not including a $770 destination charge that increased the price to $20,675.
Built at Volkswagen’s newly inaugurated Chattanooga plant in the state of Tennessee, the Passat is available with three engine options and eight equipment levels. The starting price corresponds to the 2.5L model, which features a 170HP 2.5-liter petrol engine mated to a manual gearbox. The entry-level Passat comes equipped with automatic dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth connectivity, steering wheel audio controls and VW's no-charge three-year/36,000 mile Carefree Maintenance Program as standard.

VW Premieres Sharan and Passat Variant Emergency Vehicles at the 2011 RETTmobil

After Mercedes-Benz and BMW, Volkswagen also revealed its dedicated lineup at the annual RETTmobil exhibition, which is dedicated to emergency and rescue vehicles. The Wolfsburg-based manufacturer premiered the Sharan and Passat Variant as emergency vehicles together with new features for its range of specialty cars.

Volkswagen’s Little Darth Vader Uses the Force on the European Passat

Unless you've been living in some oddball world where the internet doesn't exist - in which case, you wouldn’t be reading this anyway (…), you’ve undoubtedly seen Volkswagen’s much praised Super Bowl commercial starring a pint-sized Darth Vader who uses the Force when he discovers the new, North American-spec 2012 Passat.
Having garnered close to 40 million views on Youtube on VW USA’s channel alone, the German company decided to bring the TV spot to Europe, and specifically to the UK to promote the seventh generation of the Passat that went on sale in the country in January. Not surprisingly, the only thing the advertising agency changed in the ad was the car. The campaign aired on UK television today and will run for six weeks.

VIDEO: What if Toyota Made a Cute Darth Vader Commercial?

Everyone seemed to love Volkswagen's Darth Vader Super Bowl commercial. In fact, some people out there liked it so much that they wanted to see what it would be like had Toyota made the ad. Well now we know (which is half the battle). Needless to say, the Toyota version isn't as heartwarming. It is quite entertaining, though. Check out the clip below for 1:08 of dark-sided hilarity.

Nielsen: Chevy's Miss Evelyn the Most Watched Ad Ever, but VW's Little Darth Varder was the Super Bowl Favorite

The numbers are in for last week's Super Bowl event and they show that the winner is General Motors with its Chevrolet’s spot, “Miss Evelyn’s Wild Ride”. According to Nielsen, an estimated 119,628,000 viewers watched two guys describing a woman’s wild ride in a silver Chevrolet Camaro making it the most-watched commercial ever. The previous record holder was a Doritos ad from 2010 with 116,231,920 viewers. GM's winning streak continued with the Chevy Cruze ad that came in second with 119.3 million views.
However, despite the record viewing number, Chevy's lovely ladies couldn't beat Volkswagen's little Darth Vader in the Passat ad for the most favorite commercial of the game with a Nieslen likability index of 186 (the average score for the Super Bowl ads is 100, meaning VW's Passat ad was almost twice as liked as the average commercial).

NHTSA Investigates 490,000 Volkswagen Passat Models Over Engine Compartment Fires

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA] has upgraded an ongoing investigation into the Volkswagen Passat with 4-cylinder turbo powerplants over reports of engine fires to include all sedans from the 2001-2007 model years and Wagons from the 2006-2007 model years. Last summer, the government agency had opened a preliminary examination into the 2002-2003 model year Passat amid concerns on fires caused by failing ignition coils. The upgraded investigation now covers some 490,000 VW Passats.

VW will Tease Next Beetle, Show Off 2012 Passat in Super Bowl XLV TV Spots

Joining an increasing number of advertisers, Volkswagen plans to air two never before seen TV spots during the 2nd and 4th quarters of Super Bowl XLV on February 6. The 30-seconds ads will showcase two models, the all-new 2012 Passat sedan that we first saw in Detroit earlier this month, and the so-called 21st Century Beetle.

2012 Volkswagen Passat: Live Photos from NAIAS Plus Driving Footage and First TV Ad

One of the most highly anticipated world premieres of the 2011 NAIAS, the new U.S. market 2012 Volkswagen Passat, turned out to be one of the less exciting -at least in terms of design- introductions of the show. The US-built replacement for the European-sourced Passat literally looks like an extra-large Jetta, which drew its own share of criticism for its uninspired and generic looks. For comparison, we've added a few shots of the Jetta after the jump.
While the design may not be engaging, the car's lower sticker prices will certainly attract more buyers as the new Passat will start from around $20,000 or some $7,000 to $8,000 less than the 2011MY it replaces.

However, keep in mind that while the base 2011 Passat was offered with a modern 200HP 2.0 TFSI, the entry-level 2012MY Passat will come with VW's old 2.5-liter five-cylinder unit rated at 170HP.

Born in the USA: 2012 VW Passat, Previously known as NMS, Revealed Ahead of Detroit Show

Volkswagen has finally lifted the covers of its New Midsize Sedan [NMS], and it's name is... Passat. In other words, the Wolfsburg-based carmaker chose to retain the Passat name for its new mid size sedan model, which has been specifically developed for the North American market and will be built at the firm's new US plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
The four-door saloon model will be launched in the States in mid-August with an entry-level price in the US$20,000 range, according to the company. Final prices will be announced in March. "There is hardly any other saloon of this size (exactly 191.7 inches or 4,868 mm long) that offers such high technology and quality at a comparable price," said Volkswagen in a statement.

2012 Volkswagen NMS Teaser Shows Up on Official Site, Confirms Detroit Debut

It's no secret Volkswagen is developing a new mid-size sedan (hence the NMS codename) to replace the Passat in the North American market, but today the German automaker posted a teaser on its website ahead of the car's world premiere which will take place at next week's Detroit motorshow.

China Market 2012 Volkswagen NMS Unwrapped?

Chances are you've already seen a set of pictures, supposedly depicting the U.S. market version of the 2012 Volkswagen New Midsized Sedan (NMS), floating around on the web-o-sphere this week. As always, we looked around and tried to find the original or one of the original sources of the photos. Turns out that these pictures originated from a Chinese car site called Autohome. If we are to believe the report, what you see here is the China-market version of the NMS. Even so, we would like to note that we're not entirely convinced of their authenticity as the photographs could very well be fabricated.

New VW Scirocco BlueMotion returns 62.8 mpg UK

Volkswagen is upping the fuel economy ante in the UK with the presentation of new Scirocco and Passat CC diesel range that benefit from the firm's BlueMotion Technology.

Starting with VW's proposal in the compact coupe segment, all entry-level and GT trim models with the 2.0-litre 140HP diesel engine now feature BlueMotion Technology modifications, which include Stop/Start and battery regeneration systems, thus helping to create the cleanest and most fuel efficient Scirocco to date.