VW’s Passat named 2015 European Car of the Year

Volkswagen drove away with a prestigious honor. The brand’s new eighth-generation Passat sedan won Europe’s Car of the Year award.

The VW four-door beat a multinational lineup of contenders including the BMW 2 Series, Citroen C4 Cactus, Ford Mondeo, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Nissan Qashqai and Renault Twingo. That’s some serious competition, particularly the C-Class and 2 Series.

SEE ALSO: AutoGuide.com’s 2015 car of the Year

The new Passat is based off the company’s acclaimed MQB architecture, the same platform that spawned the 2013 winner of this accolade, the Volkswagen Golf. Judges were impressed by the new Passat’s improved refinement, interior space and build quality.

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