Volkswagen has announced the arrival of two new trim levels to the Passat range: Executive and Executive Style, replacing the existing Highline, Sport and R-Line trims in the line-up.
The Executive sits above the entry level S and BlueMotion models in the Passat range and comes with over £1,700-worth of equipment over the Highline model that it replaces.
Volkswagen is aiming for the new trims to help keep the Passat competitive in a sector which includes the Ford Mondeo, Mazda6 and Vauxhall Insignia.
Standard equipment highlights that will be especially useful for company car drivers include 17-inch alloy wheels, DAB radio, Bluetooth, a touchscreen sat-nav system, leather interior elements, heated front seats, climate control, cruise control and rear parking sensors.
Despite all the extra equipment, the new Executive trim carries a premium of only £200 over the current Highline version offering excellent value for money.
The Executive Style trim builds on the Executive and adds several exterior styling touches for a more sporty appeal. The suspension is lowered by 15mm and is accompanied by 18-inch alloy wheels, bi-xenon headlights and tinted rear glass. It costs £995 over the Executive.
The Volkswagen Passat is a key company car for the German manufacturer, with more than 75 percent of total sales going to fleet. The new trim level line-up aims to simplify the range for company car drivers with the majority of sales expected to be made by the Executive trim.
As of January this year, the new Passat range will consist of four trim levels: S, BlueMotion, Executive and Executive Style. Prices start from £20,235 for the 1.4TSI S.