Thursday, April 8, 2010

New York 2010: Volkswagen Mid-Size Sedan to launch with TDI in 2011


Volkswagen New Mid-Size Sedan

During yesterday's North American debut of the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid at the New York Auto Show, VW's North American CEO, Stefan Jacoby, let slip that the yet-to-be-named Passat replacement – currently known as the "New Mid-Size Sedan" (NMS) – will be available with a diesel in both the U.S. and Canada when it goes on sale in 2011.

Production of the NMS is set to begin within the next year at the automaker's new Chattanooga, Tennessee facility, and it's all but assured that the mill will be the same 2.0-liter diesel four-pot currently outputting 140 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque in the Jetta TDI.

Details on the sedan are scant, but Jacoby reiterated that the NMS will be Volkswagen's most focused push into the mid-size segment, where it is set to do battle with the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. With a launch this important, it's no wonder that the company is still debating names.

Source: Autoblog