We've always thought the Volkswagen Passat to be a pretty decent family sedan, even if the ones we came to know in North America weren't as good as the offerings from Europe. For this latest version, which has been labelled as a concept for now, things are much better. The car is set for a full reveal at the LA Auto Show, but the release shows us more than enough for us to make an educated opinion on the Passat GT Concept. It looks pretty good, and is spec-packed now too.

Designed in America at the Engineering and Planning Center in Chattanooga, the Passat GT Concept is on point with what Americans will want from a saloon - made for Americans, by Americans. "The Passat GT is an early example of how the new Volkswagen North American Region will meet the needs and desires of American customers going forward," said Dr. Matthias Erb, Chief Engineering Officer, North American Region, Volkswagen. "We have the freedom and the responsibility to shape future North American vehicles here in the US, combining engineering resources from around the world with our unique perspective and talented local team." That team gave the Concept more than twenty changes over the stock car.

It starts with red accent lines as seen on the Golf GTI and also includes unique bumper treatments, black window surrounds, a black roof and trunk spoiler, LED headlights, smoked taillights, a dual trapezoidal exhaust and a sport muffler. 19-inch Tornado wheels and a 0.6-inch drop give the Passat a better stance. Inside there's a carbon-fiber pattern door trim and instrument panel, two-tone black-and-gray sport seats with contrast stitching, a black headliner and also piano black center console trim. The GT Concept uses a 280-hp 3.6-liter TSI VR6 mated to a 6-speed DSG transmission that can be controlled via shift paddles behind the steering wheel. This is the Passat you've been waiting for.