Dressed in Night Blue Metallic and powered by a 2.0 liter turbocharged diesel engine, Joanne Benante’s 2012 Volkswagen Passat is more than just an award-winning sedan as itself is a milestone car. Built at VW’s Chattanooga, Tennessee assembly plant, the car is the 100,000 vehicle to roll off the factory floor. The plant’s operations have only been in full swing a little more than one year but during that time, the U.S. made Passat has managed to become a saving grace for VW. With the sedan’s successful pace still going strong, the 2012 Motor Trend Car of The Year is surly showing no signs of slowing.
“We have built each and every one of those 100,000 Passats with a passion for detail that sets the standard for safety and reliability for the mid-size sedan market,” said Volkswagen Chattanooga CEO and Chairman Frank Fischer. LEED-certified, VW’s Chattanooga plant has been working strong since their first customer car was completed on April 18, 2011. More than 2,200 direct jobs have been created due to the plant which has been made possible by $1 billion in total investments.
“Producing 100,000 Passats so soon after the vehicle went on sale in September 2011 is a testament to all the hard work that has gone into making our LEED-certified Chattanooga plant and the Passat such a success, both here and abroad,” said Jonathan Browning, President and CEO, Volkswagen of America.
Source: Volkswagen
