Volkswagen has had brushes with extinction in the past, so it made a Camry. Which begs the question: is it possible for a company to grow while maintaining some semblance of brand purity?

With their new Passat, Volkswagen is looking straight at the Toyota Camry. It’s the first time VW has made a car in the U.S. since 1988. The result is a car built just for us.

It’s bigger, of course, than the Rest of World variants. The controls were converted from buttons to rotary knobs. Fender was hired to create the sound system. The raciest VR6 model only comes with an automatic transmission. VW’s minutely-adjustable seat recliner mechanism was changed after U.S. consumers didn’t like it. Even the front grille was focus-grouped – three bars instead of two because it felt snazzier.

The face is familiar – that is, it looks like every other mid-sized sedan on the road. VW has always been known for design cleanliness, but this is the first car from them that looks downright anonymous. The new Camry almost looks ferocious by comparison.

Remember back in 2001 when Volkswagen shoved the 4.0L W8 engine into a four-wheel-drive Passat, just because?

I can see where they’re coming from. The company has had brushes with extinction in the past. As a giant corporation, making money is top priority. To make money, one chases the mass-market.

Is it possible for a company to grow while maintaining some semblance of brand purity? Even lovably idiosyncratic cars from Subaru and Honda have lost some of their edge. Though Mini seems to have found a way to make money and keep their DNA intact.

Perhaps the Passat becomes VW’s “Cayenne,” a bread-and-butter project that simply allows cars like the GTI and R32 to exist.

Given what they set out to accomplish – to create a flavorless car and sell a ton of them – the new Passat seems poised for success, at least on paper. But in the segment of worry-free transport, there’s comfort in familiarity, and so why wouldn’t one just get a Camry?

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