To be unveiled in December

A production-ready Volkswagen NMC was spied undergoing last-minute testing somewhere in China.

Set to become most likely a China-only model, the NMC has been spotted once again showing Volkswagen is cooking up a CC-like version of the Jetta (Sagitar in China) that will reportedly be unveiled in December at the Guangzhou Auto Show.

It looks virtually the same as the concept but it should be mentioned the taillights graphics are hidden under stickers. However, previous spy shots have revealed their appearance closely mirrors the taillights fitted onto the concept while the interior cabin will be largely carried over from the regular Sagitar.

The vehicle will be manufactured by the local Shanghai-Volkswagen joint venture and will be offered with 4-cylinder 1.4 TSI and 2.0 TSI engines connected to a 7-speed DSG. Pricing should kick off at approximately 180,000 yuan (29,000 USD) once the model goes on sale in the first half of 2015.

This past spring at the Beijing Auto Show, VW unveiled the New Midsize Concept (NMC), a study previewing a stylish rival for the Mercedes-Benz CLA. Fast forward to today’s Chengdu Auto Show and that production sedan is already a reality.

Called Ling Du (凌渡) in China, the sedan is based on the MQB platform, the same used by VW Group’s latest compact cars including the Golf Mk7. The engine lineup consists of two 1.4 TSI and 2.0 TSI four-cylinder petrol engines, both linked to a seven-speed DSG transmission.

Targeting cars like the Mercedes-Benz CLA, the Lamando will be built in China by the Shanghai-Volkswagen joint-venture and will go on sale in November at a starting price of around 180,000 yuan ($29,300). VW hopes the car will appeal to young Chinese buyers who are in the market for a more stylish than the Jetta but cannot afford a VW CC.

Although VW likes to call it a four-door coupe, the Lamando looks just like a sedan, and the boot’s volume of 500 liters (17.6 cu-ft) is a further testimony to that. There are rumors that the Lamando will be produced in Mexico as well, but VW hasn’t said anything about that yet.

Jetta CC for China

Following yesterday's fully revealing spy shots, Volkswagen has introduced the Lamando at the Chengdu Auto Show in China.

It's essentially a production version of the New Midsize Coupe (NMC) concept unveiled at the Beijing Motor Show earlier this year and has received the Lamando nameplate. It's not based on the China-spec Sagitar (Jetta) as the model rides on Volkswagen's MQB platform so it shares many of the internals with the seventh generation Golf.

With the Lamando, Volkswagen is trying to offer a Jetta CC in China targeted primarily at young customers who find the Passat CC too big and/or expensive. It will be manufactured locally by the Shanghai-Volkswagen joint venture and will go on sale this November at an estimated starting price of 180,000 yuan (about 29,300 USD).

There's no word on European or North American availability but chances are a similar version will probably be launched with the next generation Jetta likely to come in 2016.

Goes on sale in November

The recently unveiled Volkswagen Lamando has returned in a series of photographs showing the production guise.

It was officially unveiled at the end of last month during the Chengdu Auto Show in China where it will exclusively be sold as a sleeker and more expensive alternative to the Jetta. The uninspiringly named Lamando is essentially a production version of the New Midsize Coupe (NMC) concept even though the body style is clearly a sedan.

The biggest difference between this and the Jetta is the switch to Volkswagen's MQB platform while the engine lineup will include a 1.4 TSI rated at 140 HP (103 kW) along with a larger 1.8 TSI packing 180 HP (132 kW). Both of them will be mated to a seven-speed DSG and later on the engine lineup will grow to include a 220 HP 2.0 TSI.

It will be produced locally by the Shanghai-Volkswagen joint venture and is set to go on sale in November at an estimated starting price of 180,000 yuan ($29,400).