VW New Mid-Size Sedan to Replace, Not Join Passat in U.S.

I think its like what Honda did with the Accord, one Fat American one, and one Small European one (aka Aucra TSX). By the way I drive the Euro Accord in Australia, where they sell both Fat and Skinny model under the Honda badge. In Aus, the smaller Euro version is a lot more expensive. (just like the price difference between TSX and Accord in the US) I think VW might do the same as Honda and make the new Passat compete against Acura, or Lexus, and the new NMS for Camry and Accord.

A new Passat is also planned for 2011 (i.e. it's only planned to be cancelled in the US market), and I'm pretty sure THAT is the "smaller, more expensive" model he's referring to. Given EU:US exchange rates, a German-built Jetta probably IS more expensive to produce than this "NMS" built in Tennessee will be, but VW will likely arbitrage their total production costs amongst their whole US line-up (to match with model image) just as they currently do (i.e. New Beetles made in Mexico and Passats made in Germany are not sold with the same profit margin to actual model-specific production costs, VW just aims for total profit margin on total model line-up, which is standard practice.) The new Passat, i.e. "expensive + smaller" has a good chance to continue to be sold in Canada and Mexico, so should still be available if you're willing to jump thru some car registration hoops. (If PASSAT was "small", and this new, bigger car is "medium", what is "large"? ...Maybe I'm just not ordering enough Pizza Hut...)

(If PASSAT was "small", and this new, bigger car is "medium", what is "large"?) The New Phaeton.

Speculative arrogance aside, the current Passat hasn't sold well in the US for a variety of reasons. While German automakers tend to be straying from their understated roots with recent models, this model doesn't have the elegance of its predecessor which distinguished it from other value brands. In addition to not being much of a looker, it also doesn't perform substantially better than its competition. Fully opted out, it begins to compete with other German brands, yet lacks their panache, perks, and dealer experience. The market will only pay so much for FWD based cars, even if it ends up being optioned with AWD. In short, it's ugly, it's pricey, and there are a lot more appealing alternatives; but don't consider those factors Sir Tristan (my gosh, how pompous is that?), just discard any clutter that might necessitate you differentiating any factors. It's probably better that you just think in black and white terms; and if that means smearing a few hundred million people to keep your mental desktop tidy, so be it, you can try to hide behind your illusion of superiority.

VWNA has never really seemed to understand their market. This last Generation Passat was more of a lateral move over the B5 model. It is not an entertaining ride, it has lackluster styling (whats with all that overhang), and it's pretty much just a lardass of a vehicle make . Actually, it is a step back from the B5. I predict a Ford Tauras also.