It was built for research on fuel economy in automobiles. The IRVW II is a modified Passat B2 from 1980.

Syncro was also available in the American market, only with the five-cylinder engine. Only the more popular estate was deemed worthy of reengineering, so as to not offer direct competition with the sedan-only Audi 80 quattro. Unlike the related Audi 80 quattro which used a reversed front wheel setup, the rear-axle was an adapted Volkswagen Transporter unit so as to retain a flat loading floor. The Syncro's bottom plate was almost entirely different, requiring a transmission tunnel, a relocated gas tank, and no spare tire well (to make room for the complex rear axle assembly). When first shown, at the 1983 Frankfurt Motor Show, the car was meant to be called the 'Passat Tetra'. The four-wheel drive system used in the Passat Variant Syncro shared the mechanics of the Audi 80 quattro rather than the Volkswagen Golf Syncro. An automatic stop/start was also available in some markets. Originally, this was the only five-speed transmission offered with the Passat B2. This, also called the 'Formel E', had an overdrive fourth and an even taller fifth gear, which combined with a freewheeling mechanism to provide better gas mileage but less impressive performance. In addition to four- and five-speed manuals and three-speed automatic gearboxes, the Passat/Santana was also available with the VW concern's interesting 4+E transmission. Unlike its predecessor, however, top-of the line versions received five-cylinder Audi or VW engines of 1.9–2.2 litres. Like the previous generation, the B2 Passat was mainly sold with four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines. The production of Passat B2 in China ended in 2013.ġ982-1985 Volkswagen Quantum GL Wagon (US Market) The Passat saloon and estate were produced in South Africa for their local market until 1987. In Brazil and United States, the Santana station wagon was sold as the Quantum. The Santana was also manufactured in China, Brazil, Mexico (as the Corsar, from 19) and Argentina (as the Carat between 19). As with the previous generation, it was based on the platform of the Audi 80 the corresponding B2 version of which had been already launched in 1978. The platform was slightly longer than the preceding Passat (B1). It was the second generation of the Volkswagen Passat. The Volkswagen Passat (B2) is an automobile which was produced by German manufacturer Volkswagen from 1981 to 1988.

Vw passat b2 syncro