Spied here, heavily disguised under stretched and widened Jetta bodywork, is a mule housing prototype components for two cars: Volkswagen's New Compact Sedan and New Mid-Size Sedan. Both will spearhead the company's attack on Japanese and Korean dominance of the import sector in the U.S. market.
It is VW's ambition to become the number-one global carmaker, surpassing even the Toyota juggernaut. To reach that goal, obstacles need to be overcome, a major one being the brand's lackluster performance in the U.S. Due to misguided product policies and the occasional severe quality problem, VW has dropped off the radar screen for many customers—if it was even there in the first place.
Both the NCS and NMS sedans are variations of the ubiquitous PQ35/PQ46 platform, which hosts a multitude of cars stretching from Golf/Rabbit to CC. The NCS will be developed mainly for the U.S. market, and it may retain the well-established Jetta moniker. The larger NMS is intended to simultaneously satisfy U.S. and Chinese tastes, so beware of chrome and ostentation. It won't go to Europe, where the next Passat will be aiming to make life difficult for the BMW 3-series and Mercedes-Benz C-class.
Why is VW walking away from global cars, especially at a time when other automakers are globalizing? The company feels that American and Asian customers don't appreciate the refinement of its current offerings. "U.S. customers look at car size and engine displacement. They won't pay a dollar extra for a Passat over the Camry just because of its finesse and attention to detail," a company executive told us in Wolfsburg. And he was concerned the NCS and NMS might still be too costly to produce compared to their Asian competition.
Indeed, the Passat, despite its merits, doesn't come close to the sales success of the Honda Accord or Toyota Camry, but the Jetta has consistently done well in the U.S. Europeans find it hard to believe, but the Jetta enjoys an aura of coolness here, a reputation enhanced by performance versions such as the GLI, which was never available in the Old World. In Europe, the Jetta has always been viewed as an old folks' car; it hasn't sold well and was renamed twice as the Vento and the Bora before VW ruefully (and without much effect) reverted to the original moniker.
While the NCS and NMS are developed with strict cost-cutting targets, there is no reason to be concerned about a lack of capability on the road. The rather agricultural but still competent 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine is expected to carry on; for real fun, look for different variations of VW's turbocharged 2.0-liter TSI engine and the 2.0-liter TDI turbo-diesel. VW could also bring the highly efficient 1.4-liter TSI to the U.S. Dual-clutch transmissions will replace the current automatic gearbox, and all-wheel drive is a possibility.
The New Mid-Size Sedan will be built at VW's Chattanooga, Tennessee, plant. The New Compact Sedan, which shares its platform, could be made there as well. Both vehicles will be available in 2010 as 2011 models.
We expect to get more technical details and information about styling direction shortly, so stay tuned.
It is VW's ambition to become the number-one global carmaker, surpassing even the Toyota juggernaut. To reach that goal, obstacles need to be overcome, a major one being the brand's lackluster performance in the U.S. Due to misguided product policies and the occasional severe quality problem, VW has dropped off the radar screen for many customers—if it was even there in the first place.
Both the NCS and NMS sedans are variations of the ubiquitous PQ35/PQ46 platform, which hosts a multitude of cars stretching from Golf/Rabbit to CC. The NCS will be developed mainly for the U.S. market, and it may retain the well-established Jetta moniker. The larger NMS is intended to simultaneously satisfy U.S. and Chinese tastes, so beware of chrome and ostentation. It won't go to Europe, where the next Passat will be aiming to make life difficult for the BMW 3-series and Mercedes-Benz C-class.
Why is VW walking away from global cars, especially at a time when other automakers are globalizing? The company feels that American and Asian customers don't appreciate the refinement of its current offerings. "U.S. customers look at car size and engine displacement. They won't pay a dollar extra for a Passat over the Camry just because of its finesse and attention to detail," a company executive told us in Wolfsburg. And he was concerned the NCS and NMS might still be too costly to produce compared to their Asian competition.
Indeed, the Passat, despite its merits, doesn't come close to the sales success of the Honda Accord or Toyota Camry, but the Jetta has consistently done well in the U.S. Europeans find it hard to believe, but the Jetta enjoys an aura of coolness here, a reputation enhanced by performance versions such as the GLI, which was never available in the Old World. In Europe, the Jetta has always been viewed as an old folks' car; it hasn't sold well and was renamed twice as the Vento and the Bora before VW ruefully (and without much effect) reverted to the original moniker.
While the NCS and NMS are developed with strict cost-cutting targets, there is no reason to be concerned about a lack of capability on the road. The rather agricultural but still competent 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine is expected to carry on; for real fun, look for different variations of VW's turbocharged 2.0-liter TSI engine and the 2.0-liter TDI turbo-diesel. VW could also bring the highly efficient 1.4-liter TSI to the U.S. Dual-clutch transmissions will replace the current automatic gearbox, and all-wheel drive is a possibility.
The New Mid-Size Sedan will be built at VW's Chattanooga, Tennessee, plant. The New Compact Sedan, which shares its platform, could be made there as well. Both vehicles will be available in 2010 as 2011 models.
We expect to get more technical details and information about styling direction shortly, so stay tuned.