VW unveils Lamando in China, likely to be the next Jetta globally

Since Volkswagen took the wraps off the New Midsize Coupe (NMC) concept which debuted in striking red at the 2014 Beijing Auto Show in April, we have come to appreciate the design . Now the concept looks ready to enter production and Volkswagen has unveiled the car at the ongoing 17th Chengdu Auto Show christened as the Lamando.

The NMC is based on Volkswagen group’s versatile MQB architecture that underpins the Volkswagen Golf Mk7, Audi A3, Seat Leon, and Skoda Octavia. The car will compete against the Mercedes-Benz CLA in the Chinese market and will be manufactured locally by the Shanghai-Volkswagen joint venture. The design of the Lamando does justice to the NMC with minimal changes in the headlamp assembly and front bumper. The grille has been blacked-out, though the sheet metal more or less remains the same as that of the concept. The rear shows similarities to the current generation Volkswagen Passat, yet seems to maintain its individuality.

The interior and powertrains details are yet to be announced, however, Carnewschina.com has reported that a 1.4 TSI and a 2.0 TSI four-cylinder petrol engine, both mated to a seven-speed DSG, will be available in China. The company has not yet revealed whether the car will be available in any of the global markets, though rumors suggest that the Lamando will be the new Jetta in the international market. The Lamando has no relation to the current Jetta, which uses an older platform shared with the Mk6 Golf. However, a new Jetta with the new platform is touted to be launched in 2016. Thus the expectation that the Lamando will debut as the new Jetta is not out of the question.

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Volkswagen New Midsize Coupe(NMC) concept[/caption]