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Official sketch: Volkswagen NMS (new mid-market sedan)

02/12/2009, 2:00 PM

By Drew Johnson

On the heels of our latest spy photos, an official sketch of the Volkswagen vehicle known only as NMS has surfaced online. Prototypes of the future Toyota Camry-fighter were last spotted undergoing testing in late January. VW has some pretty ambitious sales goals for the U.S. market in the coming years, with the bulk of those plans centering around the model — the new mid-market sedan, or NMS for short.

The vehicle will be assembled in 2011 at VW’s Chattanooga assembly plant in Tennessee. The new sedan is intended to go head-to-head with the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. It will fit between the Jetta and Passat in VW’s lineup, and will likely have a starting price of around $20,000.

In contrast to most future vehicle plans, Volkswagen has openly mentioned the NMS and what they hope to accomplish with this vehicle, as well as required amenities. VW has hinted that the new sedan will boast generous legroom, a larger trunk, bigger cup holders, improved interior quality, a six-speed dual clutch transmission, gas and diesel powerplants and the possibility of all-wheel drive.

Initially, engines and transmissions will be manufactured in Mexico – the same ones as found in the New Beetle and Jetta. A previously-spotted test mule – as clearly seen on the paper affixed to the windshield – was powered by VW’s 2.5-liter I5.

In addition to the North American market, VW may be also developing this platform for the Chinese market.

VW’s new Tennessee plant is expected to be up and running by early 2011, so look for the NMS to hit the market sometime after that.

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02/12, 3:06 PM

posted by:

A4

well that looks nothing like the puppy-faced one coming out of the trailer…

02/12, 3:13 PM

posted by:

mayer_ray_nagin

Recipe for automotive design:
… Take one TBSP Good Design
… Add 1 cup water and mix well
… Add 300 gallons more water and stir.
… Dilute with 2,500 gallons more water and blend.
… Flush it onto the market as a VW.

02/12, 3:15 PM

posted by:

johnnycanuck

bah-whoosh!

02/12, 3:16 PM

posted by:

johnnycanuck

… damn, left a floater.

02/12, 3:17 PM

posted by:

Struggle

teaser= good

others= lame

02/12, 3:23 PM

posted by:

Borat

Silly me, I thought Panamera was fugly.

02/12, 3:25 PM

posted by:

mayer_ray_nagin

Johnny …. LMAO!

02/12, 3:26 PM

posted by:

Tritonpower5.4

Concept = Nice

The Test Mules = Food for the new Ford Taurus to munch on

02/12, 3:32 PM

posted by:

wechance

Ever notice concept cars or drawings never have B pillars? The production cars always do. Makes it look cooler. The Verve concept was pretty sweet looking… Now we have the Ford Fiesta. Just an example for what I’m sure this will turn out to be.

02/12, 3:58 PM

posted by:

bigjimid

HAHAHA! OMFG!!! They really released THAT as their “Official Teaser”. ROFL. The freshman trans students can do a better job rendering than that. LOL.

^ All your guys comments added to the laughter here too, haha.

02/12, 4:19 PM

posted by:

krautninja

its a teaser SKETCH one should expect too much from it. ill wait to judge it when the spy shots stop being of a thrown together mule and are of the production model, or until the actual concept behind this car is revealed

02/12, 4:24 PM

posted by:

Mutant@DCX

Chevy Volt played the same trick. The drawing is golden in stretched mode, the car photographed sucks donkey balls

02/12, 4:39 PM

posted by:

JakeK66

The one in black is a Jetta prototype, it’s fairly obvious as it’s not been chopped up or anything past the a-pillar like that of the red prototype, it’s probably a facelift of some sort, ok, I can darn near promise you that’s what it is. Plus, VW is getting rid of the shield grill, which is on that prototype, so why have it on the new sedan?

The sedan is probably not going to be carrying over any of the windshield/doors/handles of any current VW so hold your criticisms until you see it in person.

02/12, 7:02 PM

posted by:

atoms

design student #1: hey what should we make it look like?
head designer: I don’t know, make it look good, like an audi
design student #2: so you want it to look like an audi?
head designer: no you idiots just make it look good, I’m going home now, and when I come back tomorrow you better have it done!
(head designer leaves, followed by long awkward silence)
design student #1: so. . . . . . make it look like an audi?
design student #2: yeah

02/12, 8:12 PM

posted by:

pursang

Every car looks too evil and aggressive nowadays. I guess designers are just trying to keep in touch with the times.

02/12, 9:08 PM

posted by:

DB9

Last fall I replaced two cars with an 09 Sport Red Pontiac G8 GT, my first domestic in 15 yrs, and a Vdub. A Volkswagen was my first car; the new one is the fith VW: a Deep Black 09 CC Luxury. As anyone who has owned German cars can attest, be they VWs, Audis, Bmers and Benzs etc., I’ve had my issues over the years. They key is you have to find and stick with a good dealer. As for the G8, I didn’t think GM had it in them to build such a car and unfortunately it appears as if it will be their last. There is nothing that can replicate the true enjoyment that only RWD can provide. That being said the CC is the best FWD car that I have driven and I have driven many vehicles on four continents. Take one out for a drive and see for yourself;-)

The global economic meltdown is going to change forever the automotive landscape. Whether there is a short recovery in a few years is moot; the era of easy credit is over. So who will be left? Chryslers gone, Ford is not for me and GM, if it survives will be building boring bland appliances as per the dictates of Pelosi, Frank and their constituencies. Who’s left? Hyundai – get real, Honda, Toyota and Nissan, all appliances. Infiniti, I’ve always had a thing for the Q-ship but that model may not survive. Lexus, the IS and GS are nice; Acura – not in this lifetime. So that leaves The VW group, BMW and MB, not a Benz follower except for the SL. Exotics are not daily drivers.

Japanese cars do not have the driving dynamics of the European brands. The Passat and CC are much better driver’s cars than their Japanese comp and look better too. BMW and Audi are the next level up. The Car pictured above – for the second time since the fall – is a Jetta not the new VW that this story alludes to. When the G8 needs to be replaced it will probably be a Bmer. I would not be surprised if the VW/Porsche group ends up owning BMW when all is said and done.

DB9

PS. The New Taurus is an improvement on the old – Good job Mullaly. However, it’s still a very large car. While the SHO looks great, with AWD, ford will be lucky to bring this car in at under 4400lbs. Okay, said my peace now “y’all” can get back to doing… whatever;-)

02/12, 9:28 PM

posted by:

DB9

Pursang buy a Mazda;-). How does that go again? Yeah that’s it… “laugh and the World laughs with you. Cry, and you cry alone.” With that analogy in mind, you will have everyone in stitches in a very nonaggressive way;-)

DB9

02/12, 11:32 PM

posted by:

tripleonefive

The teaser looks like an old Lexus LS 400

02/13, 5:11 AM

posted by:

KuroSyn

They’re trying for a Camaro look or what? I believe that every company is now under the design pressure from Audi… what i’m trying to say is this.

It’s a mentality thing, before Audi came out into the market with their new design, people didn’t have high margins put up then for design/style. Back then, even the ugly Panamera would’ve been appreciated probably if you know what I mean. Now with Audi’s design on the market, heads turning at all new Audi’s driving by, people now see what the auto-industry can do, and their expections from the companies are higher than ever before. Once upon a time, design wasn’t THAT important, more so was the reliability and sheer engine power. Now with people choosing car colours to match their shoes, it’s all going turning into a fashion show. Now with expectations and margins high up there since Audi’s design hit the market, companies are struggling to find good designers to keep those expectations met, in this case of VW, they too hard to stay away from the Audi but hold a new design cue of their own… didn’t work looks like it. Good effort, it’s not bad looking. But this is an unfortunate truth, the people’s mentalities are pushing pressure on designers these days. Poor California though, the suicide rate might soar because they can’t compete with Audi’s designs. Everyone I talk to agrees hands down that Audi is by far the most beautiful design for now. Can’t blame them for that. Well, we’ll see what the auto-industry will do to compete with the mentalities of their consumers. BTW. What’s happening now with the Auto-Industry is similar to what is currently going on with Apple vs rest of world Cell Phone, the iPhone has put a new standardized design that everyone loves, and now everything that other companies are trying to release is being annoying still till this day compared to that thing. In this case, the Audi is the iPhone.

02/13, 8:08 AM

posted by:

ricky_b

What’s the placement in the VW lineup? The Jetta is already close enough in size to the Passat. I really hope that they don’t flat out replace the Passat with a lower end market. Main reason I got my ‘08 VR6 was because it had features not found in Camry, Accord, Fusion, Malibu… Would hate to see them bring it down. Also, don’t ditch the wagon.

02/13, 8:21 AM

posted by:

Need more oil for GM

Camry and Accord? Nobody gives a sh1t about those pieces of sh1t. Let VW compete with the bottom feeders. The Malibu will still be king. Everyone would rather drive a GM vehicle than some cheapGerman knockoff with .0001% of the quality and reliability

Buy American. Buy GM

02/13, 9:05 AM

posted by:

bigjimid

KuroSyn – Although you’re right, It did take Audi a while to establish their new design language. In order for any auto manufacturer to redo such a thing takes many, many years because in reality if they were to release a new progressive line-up every one would be thrown back and confused. It takes years for the public to accept new designs / design language; period.

Take Ford for example. They don’t even like their ‘3 bar’ design language, they want to move away from it as quickly as possible. But they can’t because if they would have done that, then people would have stood around confused wondering why all Fords had the ‘3 bar’ design for only 2-3 years.

Every company has good designers, it’s just that when you’re working on a vehicle package that is two to three generations away (about 10-15 years), you hope that no one else will beat you by a generation. Which Audi was able to do with their entire line-up. Very nice indeed. If I could afford an Audi (TTs), and didn’t like working on my car I would buy it. But I don’t have 45k and I personally hate lug-studs.

NMOFGM – How do you do it? Whenever I think that you said your best thing in another post, you come up with something just as funny if not better in another. I hope you don’t leave regardless of what everyone thinks. I think you’re fvcking hilarious. Thank you for the laughs, yet again.

Sorry for the long a$$ post.

02/13, 12:40 PM

posted by:

VR666

I love VW’s especially my own. But this, looks old already. I think the CC is on of the greatest looking and driving cars for what it is, but this already looks sad. I understand it’s just a rendered sketch but when did VW decide sharp lines across the whole thing were hot again? If they are trying to be conservative to appeal to more they accomplished that goal but my Jetta was conservative and appealed to millions. I still think Jetta’s are some of the best looking cars on the road especially the GLI’s. The current Jetta disappointed me as did the Rabbit (which really needs to go back to the Golf nameplate) Other than that the VW lineup looks great excluding the retarded American Routan. I think if they could put the styling from the Touraeg and Passat into one it’d look amazing but also on that note VW really needs to start a design revolution soon. I love ‘em but Im sensing most others don’t share that same feeling, whether it’s from your BS lies about reliability or just the fact that it is German. If there’s one thing anyone of you would be retarded to do is knock their interiors, best goddamn ones out there. Hands down.

02/13, 3:14 PM

posted by:

zoomzoomer

That has to be one of the most boring sketches I’ve ever seen! It looks insanely large.. proportionally like the Phaeton.. but it’s supposed to be mid-market priced. VW has a tricky marketing job to do in the US if they plan to undercut the Passat AGAIN with yet another sedan like they already have with the CC, which is more modern and stylish than Passat but actually starts at a LOWER price! It really doesn’t make sense.

02/14, 8:20 PM

posted by:

Zcarsales

I’m confused. Why don’t they just expand on the CC concept, ditch the Passat, and make the CC with a 3 seat capacity in the back. VW has the strange habit of trying to create its own market segment (ie the Beetle and Tiguan), and it always screws itself in price points. The CC is an exception to the previous statement, but the Passat…

Did you know that there is only one trim level available with the Passat? The CC, albeit beautiful, is not easy to get in and out of. Secondly, its last failure is the back seat.

If it seems like I’m rambling, I am. Just a very stupid and horrible day in the world of car sales.

02/14, 11:08 PM

posted by:

RockStoneSteel

A new sedan seems a bit redundant in the VW lineup. I always considered the Passat to be the VW equivalent of the Accord and Camry. Why make a third sedan that fits ambiguously between the Jetta and Passat? Just help Passat fix its identity crisis with a little targeted marketing.

02/15, 7:52 PM

posted by:

Get Real

If VW would spend this money to put quality parts into present production cars they would have sales again in the US.

Only people who can’t afford a Mercedes or BMW to show off buy this German autoturd.

 
 
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