Chattanooga-made VW Passat named 2012 Motor Trend Car of the Year

Motor Trend magazine has named the locally-made Volkswagen Passat its 2012 Car of the Year.

The announcement came Wednesday, following weeks of speculation whether the new Passat could beat out many other vehicles that industry experts tested. 

Michelle Krebs, with auto industry publication Edmunds.com, said that this recognition is significant. 

"Auto companies take all of these awards seriously because they influence consumers to buy," she said via email. 

The new Passat — and even the old version — has been a standout vehicle in the midsize class because it was a "worthy alternative the plain-Jane Japanese midsize sedans," such as the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, she said. 

Standout features of the new model include multiple engine options and a roomy back seat, she also said. 

The October issue of Car and Driver Magazine ranked the Passat above other mid-size competition and local dealers said response to the car has been positive. 

Specially designed for the American market, the vehicle has a lower price point than previous models. At about $20,000, the new car is about $7,000 less than the previous model.

Volkswagen officials have set their sights on grabbing a bigger part of the American market, aiming to sell 1 million vehicles by 2018.

The first locally-made Passat sold in September and industry analysts have said that, in order for Volkswagen to achieve its goals of grabbing a larger portion of the American market, the Passat needed to be a big seller. 

Volkswagen recently reported sales success, with 28,028 vehicles sold in October—a 40 percent increase over prior year sales—and leaders said the locally-made Passat is contributing to the positive numbers.

Nationwide, dealers sold 5,040 Passats in October, the most since December 2005.

Volkswagen leaders said the previous model reached about 8 percent of the market, whereas the new model has the potential to reach 80 percent of prospective buyers. 

According to a Motor Trend article written before Wednesday's announcement, part of the Passat's appeal has to do with the variety of models and engine choices. 

While some with the magazine called the car's style boring, ultimately the Motor Trend article called it "simple, clean and inoffensive, yet modern."

Motor Trend writers said that Toyota, Hyundai, Honda and Subaru might have cause to worry with the new Passat on the market. 

"And if Volkswagen's optimistic sales plans come to fruition, you'll soon be seeing a lot more Tennessee-built Passats strolling through your neck of the woods," according to the article. 

Updated @ 4:18 p.m. to remove a quotation from a Motor Trend article indicating the Passat had LED lights, which the 2012 model does not have.