The Volkswagen Passat (B8) is a Mid-size car manufactured by Volkswagen that is available in a 4-door saloon and 5-door estate body style sold as "Variant." It was first introduced at the Volkswagen Design Center Potsdam on 3 July 2014. The B8 is the eighth-generation model in the Volkswagen Passat series and the first passenger vehicle of Volkswagen Group to be based on a stretched version of the MQB platform. With this generation, Volkswagen intends to move the Passat nameplate upmarket by introducing improved driving quality, better interior materials and newly developed driving assists, placing it against similar European offerings such as the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, as well as its in-house stablemate the Audi A4.