Pictures of the latest version of the Volkswagen Passat have been released by the German company months ahead of its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March, 2005.

VW says the 2006 Passat is bigger and stiffer, and claims that it is also better, particularly with regard to its interior, which is supposed to ''increase Volkswagen's lead in this area.''

This is saying something, since VW claims that ''since its introduction in 1973, the Passat has established a reputation for the highest quality standards. This was taken to new heights with the launch of the 1996 Passat, whose interior quality reached levels previously seen only in much more expensive executive cars.''

The new Passat is 4,770 mm long (an increase of 64 mm) on a 2,171-mm wheelbase (an extension of six mm), a width of 1,820 mm (up 74 mm) and a height of 1,470 (up 10 mm).

Primarily this means an increase in cabin space, but there's also more cargo space in the trunk. VW says the new Passat's trunk capacity has grown by 90 litres to 565 litres.

In terms of ride and handling and the reduction of noise, vibration and harshness, the biggest upgrade in the new Passat will undoubtedly be its static torsional rigidity, which VW says is up 57 percent, making it the ''class leader.''

The new Passat has a new four-link rear suspension, along with new transversely-mounted engines. More technical information will be available closer to the reveal at Geneva and the on-sale date in Canada next summer or fall.