Rides on MQB-B platform

Volkswagen is showcasing these days at Beijing Motor Show the New Midsize Coupe (NMC) concept which could possibly indicate a sleeker Jetta is in the works.

With this concept Volkswagen is envisioning a "sport sedan" slotted below the Passat and riding on the MQB-B platform. Although wider than the Passat, the NMC is actually shorter and lower than the Jetta and has received 20-inch wheels shod in 245 low-profile tries while the body wears a Dragon Red paint scheme.

Despite the sleek profile which has granted a drag coefficient of 0.29, the New Midsize Coupe manages to remain a practical car as it offers enough cabin space for five people and a cargo capacity of 500 liters. The concept also introduces a reinterpretation of Volkswagen's LED headlights while the taillights feature aluminum accents.

Motorization is provided by a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder TSI engine delivering 220 PS (162 kW) transferred to the road through a seven-speed DSG which enables the NMC to complete the 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) run in 6.5 seconds before topping out at 151 mph (244 km/h). Volkswagen says the concept manages to be frugal as well since it can return 36.7 mpg US (44.1 mpg UK or 6.4 liters / 100 km).

No details have been provided about a potential production version but probably such a model is in development, although it could turn out to be only a China affair.

The so-called "four-door coupe" category or in other words, sportier looking and proportioned sedans, has taken German automotive groups by storm, with the latest creation coming from Volkswagen and the New Midsize Coupé that was unveiled today at the Beijing Auto Show in China.

It’s the VW Group's second car of the same style and size based on the modular MQB platform in recent months, but in this author's eyes, it's not as sleek or sharp as the Skoda Vision C shown in Geneva this past March.

At 4,597 mm (181 inches) long, 1,422 mm (56 inches) tall and 1,838 mm (72.4 inches) wide, the Midsize Coupé is wider than a Passat but shorter than a Jetta, and overall, roughly the same size as the Mercedes-Benz CLA.

And if you're scratching your head about VW's choice to name a compact model a "Midsize" car, here's the explanation from the German carmaker:

"[Midsize] is normally the term for a car of the Passat class. However, the concept car is just 4,597 mm long and thus shorter than a Passat and shorter even than the Jetta. However, as mentioned the concept car outdoes the other two in terms of its width – and it is thus midsized."

The exterior styling isn’t at all aggressive for a concept while the interior looks like it was transferred directly from one of the brand's Golf models, which ultimately means that, this is a pre-production study, with the rumor mill talking about a presentation within the next 18 months.

Power for the concept comes from a 2.0-liter turbocharged petrol rated for 217hp (220PS) linked to a 7-speed dual clutch gearbox (VW got it right this time), with the manufacturer claiming a 0-100km/h (62mph) time of 6.5 seconds, a top speed of 244km/h (152mph) and a fuel consumption of 6.4 l/100 km (36.8 mpg US or 44.1 mpg UK).

The Volkswagen New Midsize Coupe (NMC) Concept unveiled at the Beijing Auto Show may preview a stylish production sedan that will compete against the Mercedes-Benz CLA, claims a report from Autonews.

The new four-door study is said to closely preview a future VW Jetta-based model that will be positioned as a smaller, cheaper alternative to the VW CC from 2016. According to VW design boss Klaus Bischoff, the New Midsize Coupe is an “avant-garde protagonist for a new compact sedan class.”

The production version of the NMC study is expected to be built at Volkswagen’s plant in Puebla, Mexico, as well as in China, at a joint-venture factory. The model will be based on VW’s modular MQB architecture.

Since the New Midsize Coupe may be assembled in Mexico, it would be logical for the production model to be offered in the United States, although the VW Group already offers a CLA competitor there, the Audi A3 Sedan. VW has to be careful though that the NMC doesn’t steal sales from the Audi A3 Sedan, and the pricing strategy will be key in this respect.

The NMC study showcased in Beijing looks production-ready, continuing the current VW design language that is defined by crisp lines, horizontal detailing and extensive surfacing. The New Midsize Coupe features a simple grille continued by LED headlights for a familiar VW face. The car also gets a touch of sportiness from the heavily curved roofline, frameless doors and notchback-style rear – all inspired from the VW CC.

The new four-door study is said to closely preview a future VW Jetta-based model that will be positioned as a smaller, cheaper alternative to the VW CC from 2016. According to VW design boss Klaus Bischoff, the New Midsize Coupe is an “avant-garde protagonist for a new compact sedan class.”

On sale late this year

A prototype of the production-ready Volkswagen New Midsize Coupe was spied recently in China, prior to a market release slated for late 2014.

Earlier this month Volkswagen introduced the NMC (New Midsize Coupe) concept at the Beijing Motor Show in China and already spy photographers captured the vehicle in production guise. Local media reports it will go on sale before the end of the year and will be built locally by the Shanghai-Volkswagen joint venture while the design will be carried over from the concept, albeit toned down a bit.

It will allegedly be revealed in December at the Guangzhou Auto Show and will be based on the China-spec Sagitar (Jetta). NMC (name not final) will probably be to the Jetta what the CC is to the Passat, a sleeker-looking version although not worthy of the coupe designation since this is by all possible definitions a sedan.

For now it will be a China-only affair but chances are a similar version will come out in Europe and other markets in 2016 and will allegedly be based on the next-gen Jetta.

With the four-door VW Midsize Coupe Concept or MCC definitely heading for production (an undisguised prototype was recently captured in China) as a hypothetically sportier looking alternative to the Jetta sedan, one wonders if the Germans should contemplate the addition of second body style with two less doors in the range.

Hungarian artist X-Tomi did a bit more than think about it, as he actually penned a rendering of the MCC with the number of doors that its name actually implies and gave it the "E-Coupe" moniker.

As we see it, there doesn't seem to be a lot of interest for non-premium / non-rear wheel drive-based coupe or even convertible versions of mainstream compact (think Ford Focus, not BMW 2-Series) and mid-size sedans these days on either side of the Atlantic, but perhaps China's growing market has a different opinion.

What are your thoughts?