Paris 2010: Volkswagen

By John LeBlanc PARIS - All you need to know about VW’s plans for North America can be found in the crisp-looking new 2011 Passat, unveiled here this morning in Paris, and a car that is not coming to Canada. That’s a right, value-conscious German car fans: after this year’s 2010 models, the Passat gets sent back overseas. Instead, we’ll get VW’s “New Midsize Sedan” (or NMS), some time next year. Like the new, decontented 2011 U.S.-made Jetta, the Passat’s yet unnamed North American replacement is all about Volkswagen Group's plans for worldwide automotive domination, including the goal of selling up to 800,000 vehicles per year in the North America. And, simply put, making cars in VW’s new southern U.S. (Chattanooga, Tennessee) plant is cheaper these days than making cars in southern Germany. Unlike the new, Euro-only 2011 Passat, the NMS is targeted to compete against more mainstream Camrys, Accords and Sonatas. In fact, many of its engineering is rumoured to be shared with the blander '11 Jetta. Can you handle more VW bad news? Speculation is that a new midsize crossover, based on the same cheap-to-build NMS platform, will take the place of the nicely-made and nicer handling Passat wagon and perhaps the Touareg in one fell swoop. So, say Auf Wiedersehen to the old Passat. We’ll miss you…

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