Basically the VW Passat is a copy of Audi's A4/6 (even the
instruments/gauges and steering wheel look similar to Audi's, no longer
VW's flavor) with the size in between A4 and A6.  The only difference is
the rear suspension.  The front-wheel-drive Passat has Audi's 4-link
suspension at front but at rear they moved the coil springs away from
struts/shock absorbers to get more trunk space out of it.  Audi has more
conventional springs on struts/shock absorbers at rear like the old VW way.
The VW Passat Syncro and Audi A4/6 Quattro have different rear suspension
design too.

Yi-Ruey Wei
87 Vanagon GL Syncro w/78K miles
85 Jetta GLI w/169K miles
Dallas, Texas

> Date:         Mon, 16 Nov 1998 11:03:15 -0700
> From:         Michael Harrnacker <harrnack@IN-TCH.COM>
> Subject:      Re: VW V6 ?'s

> The Passat is built on an extended A4 frame.  The car ends up being sized
> between the A4 and the A6.

> I think it's a good thing to have VW and Audi cross-pollenate.  The new
> Passat Wagon Syncro is mechanically identical to the A4 Avant, but bigger
> and several thousand dollars cheaper.
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