Stateside, the three-box sedan seems to be in retreat with VW withdrawing the Passat and Lincoln phasing out the Continental. Is it all over for this time-honoured format, or does its future simply lie elsewhere in the world?
Recently, it was reported that the Volkswagen Passat will be phased out in North America, and will only be sold in its Estate Wagon variant in Europe. The reasons are long and varied, and seem congruent with the changing times and challenges awaiting Volkswagen in the near future. Nameplates come and go, of course, and although it is sad to see some cars disappear into history, the cancellation of the Passat shines a light on a larger trend, the demise of sedans in general, and of three-box sedans in particular.
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