Lengthened cars are nothing new to the automotive world, but they are a relatively common phenoninem on the People’s Republic of China. Don’t think your mark one Chery Fulwin had enough space in the back? Simple: Order the stretched version. Think your Citroen Elysee is too cramped in the back? Simple: Order the stretched one. Wondering why Audi A4 sales are so good in China? Simple: the stretched one outsells the BMW 3-Series and Merc C-class combined. A love of legroom in the back has been the savior of many car companies in China, except VW don’t really need a savior, what they need is model diversification, and that’s where the Magotan comes in.

The Magotan, or rather Passat in Europe, is aimed at mid level managers and government officials. Government officials often get drivers as standard, and they get a budget every few years for car purchases, usually they are not allowed to go over 250,000rmb at mid level positions which doesn’t leave a great deal of models to choose from if they want to be chauffered to KTV’s in style. If you’re higher up, then you get around 350,000rmb which will buy you much more of a car. So the stretched Magotan is coming in as the affordable stretched car for the mid level city hall or junior minister who wants to get about town with the aid of his driver.

The stretched version is powered by the 1.8TSI engine and a six speed gearbox, which should keep its price to around 250,000rmb and thus inline with government procedure on buying cars. The wheelbase has been stretched from 2709mm to an impressive 2830mm, most of which has been given to rear passengers leg space.